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Estrogen Affects Expression of Bcl‐2 Protein in Medial Amygdala of Ovariectomized Rats in a Time‐dependent Manner
Author(s) -
Fan Lu,
Pandey Subhash C,
Cohen Rochelle S
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.2_supplement.26
Subject(s) - ovariectomized rat , creb , medicine , endocrinology , neun , neuroprotection , amygdala , estrogen , chemistry , biology , immunohistochemistry , biochemistry , gene , transcription factor
We showed an effect of 17β‐estradiol (E2) on neuron‐specific protein (NeuN)‐ and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB)‐positive cell numbers in the medial (MeA), but not central (CeA), amygdala of ovariectomized (OVX) rats using stereology. These results possibly reflect an E2 effect on cell survival mediated by the anti‐apoptotic protein Bcl‐2. We, therefore, examined the effect of E2 on Bcl‐2 in the MeA and CeA using gold immunolabeling. Animals were injected with the vehicle sesame oil (SO) for 14days (SO); SO for 10days followed by 2.5μg E2 for 4 days (2.5μg /4d); 2.5μg E2 for14 (2.5μg/14d) or 10μg E2 (10μg/14d) for 14 days. All E2 treatments increased plasma E2 levels over control with 2.5μg/4d and 2.5μg/14d resulting in levels similar to proestrus levels and 10μg/14d resulted in levels 2.5 times higher. Preabsorption of the Bcl‐2 antibody with blocking peptide (against which it was raised) eliminated the immunoreactivity of Bcl‐2 on brain sections. In MeA, 2.5μg/14d and 10μg/14d increased Bcl‐2 expression compared to SO and 2.5μg/4d; no differences were seen in CeA. The E2‐induced increase in Bcl‐2 in MeA may be important for neuroprotection in this region.