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Modulation of Lymphocyte IL-2 Expression and Apoptosis by Estrogenic Xenobiotics
EPA Grant Number: U915917Title: Modulation of Lymphocyte IL-2 Expression and Apoptosis by Estrogenic Xenobiotics
Investigators: Ndebele, Kenneth
Institution: Jackson State University
EPA Project Officer: Graham, Karen
Project Period: January 1, 2001 through January 1, 2004
Project Amount: $104,062
RFA: GRO (formerly MAI ) Graduate Fellowships (2001)
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Fellowship - Environmental Science
Description:
Objective:The objective of this research project is to show that estrogen suppresses interleukin-2 (IL-2) production from activated peripheral blood T cells and CD4+ T cell lines at the transcriptional level.
Approach:IL-2 plays an important role in adaptive immune
responses. These responses differ between females and males; this may be
because of the sex
steroid estrogen. In CD4+ Jurkat T cells, transcriptional suppression of
IL-2 was associated with decreased nuclear binding of two important IL-2 positive
transcriptional binding factors, NFK
and AP-1. The decreased nuclear binding
of NFK occurred in the setting of estrogen-induced increases in IK–Ba
protein levels, an important inhibitor of NFK nuclear translocation. Moreover,
estrogen also was shown to inhibit IL-2 receptor (IL2-R) expression in activated
peripheral blood T cells. Estrogen-induced suppression of IL-2 and its receptor
may have many ramifications for our understanding of immune and autoimmune
sexual dichotomies, immune responses during pregnancy, and potential therapeutic
intervention with hormone agonists and antagonists.
fellowship, lymphocyte IL-2, lymphocyte IL-2 expression, apoptosis, estrogenic xenobiotics, immune responses, estrogen, sex steroid, peripheral blood T cells, estrogen-induced increases, nuclear translocation.