Estrogen receptor α in mouse splenic lymphocytes: possible involvement in immunity

To elucidate relevance of estrogens to immune responses, we investigated whether estrogen receptor α (ER α) exists in mouse splenic B cells and T cells and the effect of 17β-estradiol and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on lymphocyte mitogenesis. ER α was identified in both male and female mouse splenic cells using RT-PCR. Crude splenic cells were stained with anti-ER antibody, and the distribution of ER α in the splenic B cells and part of the splenic T cells was confirmed by flow cytometry. 17β-Estradiol inhibited B cell mitogenesis at the concentration of 10 −8 M and T cell mitogenesis at the concentration of 10 −6 M. Some EDCs, diethylstilbestrol, bisphenol A, p-nonylphenol and di-2-ethylhexylphthalate, suppressed lymphocyte mitogenesis at the concentration of 10 −6–10 −5 M. We therefore suggest that estrogen may suppress lymphocyte mitogenesis through ER α in B and T cells.