Expression of the estrogen receptor ? and ? in mouse thymus / 中国免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To detect estrogen receptor ? and ?(ER-?,ER-?) protein expression in different age of mouse thymus.Methods:Protein expression of ER-? and ER-? in thymus was analyzed via immunohistochemistry.Moreover,the relationship between ER-? and cytokeratin 18(epithelial cell marker) was further tested through fluorescence double-staining.Results:Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that both ER-? and ? protein was found in nuclei of some thymocytes of 3 month mice.However,expression of ER-? was absence while ER-? was still positive in aged mice,such as 12 months and 16 months old.Double staining further confirmed that lots of ER-?/? positive cells were Foxp3 negative cells.Conclusion:Expression of ER-? is absent while ER-? is still positive in thymus of aged mice,which indicates ER-? is the critical estrogen receptor that involves in thymic involution.Moreover,ER-?/? do not participate in Treg development within thymus.