Grantee Research Project Results
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: Duma, Kenneth Ndebele
Institution: Jackson State University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: January 1, 2001 through January 1, 2004
Project Amount: $104,062
RFA: Minority Academic Institutions (MAI) Fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Academic Fellowships , Fellowship - Environmental Science
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.
Supplemental Keywords:
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.Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.