In vivo uptake of estradiol-17 by the uterus of the mature rat

Theophylline-estrogen interaction in the rat uterus: role of the ovary

Uterine edema induced by 0.1 microgram/100 g body wt of estradiol further increases in the presence of theophylline. Theophylline alone or in the presence of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 microgram/100 g body wt of estradiol increases uterine RNA and protein content 6 h after its administration, as compared with the same doses of estradiol alone. Both phenomena disappear in the ovariectomized immature rat, suggesting that theophylline potentiates the action of gonadotropins, increasing the synthesis of endogenous ovarian estrogens by the immature ovary. Theophylline decreases the number of eosinophils in the blood and concurrently decreases estrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia at doses of 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 30 micrograms/100 g body wt of estradiol. Estrogen binding by uterine eosinophils in vitro increases in the presence of theophylline. This effect of theophylline could also explain the increase in vivo in estrogen-induced uterine edema.

Uterine epithelial and eosinophil estrogen receptors in rats during the estrous cycle

In the uterus of the adult females rats, the luminal epithelial cells and the eosinophil leukocytes are rich in cytoplasmic estrogen receptors. During the estrous cycle, the epithelial estrogen receptor concentration reaches its peak level in proestrus, drops precipitously in estrus, and hits the trough at metestrus. Repopulation of the cytoplasm with estrogen binding sites occurs during diestrus. This pattern of cyclic change is indicative of a rapid turnover of estrogen receptors inthe epithelial cells and its regulation by endogenous estrogens. The concentration of estrogen receptors in the cytoplasm of the eosinophils does not appear to fluctuate during the cycle. But the intrauterine distribution of these leukocytes is clearly cyclic in pattern, ostensibly influenced by estrogens. While progesterone binding activity is consistently demonstrated in tandem with estrogen receptors in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells, it had not been observed in the eosinophil leukocytes. These findings support the claim that there are two estrogen receptor systems in the rat uterus, one mediating the intracellular events of the genomic response to estrogens, and the other being concerned with non-genomic responses.

Eosinophilic pancreatitis in the newborn infant of a diabetic mother

The authors have studied the pancreas of a premature female infant born to a diabetic mother. The findings included a peri-insular eosinophilic leucocyte infiltration, macropolinesia and a marked increase in B cells. In the exocrime parenchyma small B cells aggregates were also observed. B cells contained voluminous hypercromatic muclei and degranulated cytoplasm. Morphometric data demonstrated an increase in islet tissue. These morphological findings are indicative of excessive insulin secretion. The presence of eosinophilic leucocytes in pancreatic tissue and the pathogenic mechanism involved are discussed.

Effect of propranolol on various parameters of estrogen stimulation in the rat uterus

Pretreatment with propranolol does not modify the estrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia, the water imbibition effect, nor the increase in uterine RNA and protein content. This confirms the independence of these parameters from the estrogen-induced early increase in uterine cAMP, since, when observed, the latter is suppressed by propranolol pretreatment.

In vitro binding of 3H-estradiol to eosinophil and neutrophil granulocytes in various tissues (normal and neoplastic) of newborn and adult rats

In vitro uptake and binding of tritiated estradiol to the specific granules of eosinophil granulocytes has been observed by ultrastructural radioautography in various tissues of the rat (liver and spleen of newborn, small intestine and bone marrow of adult animals). Binding of 3H-estradiol to granules present in the cytoplasm of neutrophil granulocytes has also been observed in bone marrow and in a cholangioma produced by chemical carcinogenesis. Neither type of granulocyte bound 3H-testosterone.

Estrogen binding by leukocytes during phagocytosis,

Estradiol binds covalently to normal leukocytes during phagocytosis. The binding involves three cell types, neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes and at least two reaction mechanisms, one involving the peroxidase of neutrophils and monocytes (myeloperoxidase [MPO]) and possibly the eosinophil peroxidase, and the second involving catalase. Binding is markedly reduced when leukocytes from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), severe leukocytic glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and familial lipochrome histiocytosis are employed and two populations of neutrophils, one which binds estradiol and one which does not, can be demonstrated in the blood of a CGD carrier. Leukocytes from patients with hereditary MPO deficiency also bind estradiol poorly although the defect is not as severe as in CGD. These findings are discussed in relation to the inactivation of estrogens during infection and the possible role of estrogens in neutrophil function.

Measurement of estradiol receptors in human breast tumors by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

1. Specific estradiol receptors in cytosols from human breast tumors were measured by discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2. Binding of estradiol to contaminating sex hormone binding globulin was clearly separated from that due to the specific receptor. 3. The amount of estradiol bound by the receptor was linear with respect to the amount of protein added to gel. 4. The estradiol receptor peak of radioactivity showed saturability and specificity characteristic of an intracellular receptor. 5. The results show that polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis can be used to quantitate specific estradiol receptors in the presence of other high affinity binding components.

Characterization of the estrogen receptors in the uterine and blood eosinophil leukocytes

Estrogen receptors are found in the rat uterine and in the eosinophil-rich human blood leukocyte 24,000 g fractions, but not in the low-eosinophil count human blood leukocyte 24,000 g fraction. The total number of binding sites per blood eosinophil leukocyte is 7,400 sites per cell, and the Kp=5.6 X 10(-10) M.

Nuclear estradiol receptor in the adult rat uterus: a new exchange assay

A protamine exchange assay has been developed to measure uterine nuclear estrogen receptor in mature rats exposed to estradiol (E). After ovariectomized-adrenalectomized mature rats are injected with E, estrogen receptor (RnE) is extracted from uterine nuclei with 0.6 M potassium chloride, diluted, and quantitatively precipitated with protamine sulfate. The precipitate is subjected to a ligand exchange with radiolabeled estradiol (E), with or without unlabeled diethylstilbesterol, to determine nonspecific binding. At 37 degrees C complete exchange of E for E in RnE is observed at 2.5 h; virtually no receptor degradation occurs up to at least 5 h. Exchange does not occur at 4 degrees C. Using the protamine assay, the depletion of cytoplasmic estrogen receptor (Rc) and the accumulation of RnE were studied at various doses of E at specific time points. Increasing doses of E result in a decrease of Rc with an equal increase of RnE. At the highest dose of E (10 mug) Rc is completely depleted within 10 min, by 6 h it is 25% replenished, and by 24 h returns to slightly above control levels. Within 10 min after the injection, RnE increases to 80-90% of the original cytoplasmic level of receptor (approximately 2-3 pmol/mg of DNA or approximately 1.5 pmol/100 mg of uterus). At 6 h RnE is 75% depleted and it is completely absent at 24 h. The protamine assay permits precise quantitative studies of nuclear estrogen receptor and avoids the problems of receptor degradation and excessive nonspecific binding often found in exchange reactions at elevated temperatures.

Effect of progesterone on the in vivo binding of estrogens by uterine cells

Progesterone selectively inhibits estradiol uptake by the nuclei of the luminal epithelial cells but not by other uterine cells. This inhibition in estrogen binding parallels the inhibition by progesterone of some estrogenic responses in the luminal epithelial cells only.

New concepts on the action of oestrogens in the uterus and the role of the eosinophil receptor system

Two receptor systems for oestrogens have been demonstrated in the uterus: the cytosol-nuclear receptor system and the eosinophil receptor system. It has been proposed that the cytosol-nuclear receptor system mediates the genomic response to oestrogens in the uterus, while the eosinophil receptor system is thought to mediate the uterine edema and other early oestrogenic responses in the uterus. Cortisol is known to decrease drastically the number of eosinophils in the blood and therefore to limit their availability for migration to the uterus. The present results show that cortisol also drastically reduces both the oestrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia and the uterine wet weight responses, but does not interfere with the oestrogen-induced uterine RNA and protein increases. Oestradiol-17 beta has a higher affinity than oestriol for the cytosol-nuclear receptors and is now found to be the more potent oestrogen in inducing the genomic activation in the uterus. Estriol has a higher affinity than oestradiol-17 beta for the eosinophil receptors, and therefore, oestriol is the stronger oestrogen in inducing those oestrogenic effects which are mediated by the eosinophil receptor system. We conclude that the eosinophil receptor system for oestrogens is a new system, independent of Jensen's cytosol-nuclear receptor system, and this eosinophil receptor system is involved in the mechanism of oestrogen action in the uterus.

Dynamics of eosinophils in the uterus after oestrogen administration

To investigase the role of the eosinophil leukocytes in the early oestrogenic responses in the uterus, the kinetics of oestrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia and other parameters of oestrogen stimulation were studied at very early times. Uterine eosinophils increase as early as 5 min after an intravenous injection of oestradiol to immature rats, much earlier than several other changes in the early parameters of oestrogen stimulation. Large number of uterine eosinophils are found attached to the wall of small uterine blood vessels at early times. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in the specific attraction of eosinophils to the uterus in the presence of oestrogens, the in vivo localisation of oestrogens in the rat uterus at early times was studied using a radioautographic technique. Oestrogen receptors were found in the surface of eosinophils and in the wall of small uterine blood vessels. This simultaneous presence of both oestrogen receptors is proposed to explain the specific attachment of eosinophils to uterine blood vessels in the presence of oestrogens, which is the initial step toward eosinophil penetration into the uterus.

Correlation of estrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia with other parameters of estrogen stimulation, produced with estradiol-17beta and estriol

Estradiol-17beta is a stronger estrogen than estriol for the genomic response of estrogens. Estriol is a stronger estrogen than estradiol-17beta for the estrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia and the 6 h increase in the uterine wet weight.

Effects of cortisol on uterine eosinophilia and other oestrogenic responses

The effects of cortisol on several oestrogenic responses of the rat uterus were measured. Whether injected i.v., simultaneously with oestradiol-17 beta, or i.p,, 12 h before the oestradiol, cortisol had no effects on the oestrogen-induced increases in uterine glycogen, protein and DNA contents. In contrast, cortisol inhibited both uterine eosinophilia and the increase of wet weight. Both responses show the same higher sensitivity to i.v. injection than to i.p. injection of cortisol. Inhibition of both responses by cortisol follows identical dose-response curves. These data support our hypothesis that the water-imbibition effect of oestrogen i- mediated by uterine eosinophilia and is thus related to the eosinophil receptor system.