Figure 3
Immunosuppressive function of estradiol via PGE2induction. (a and b) PBMCs from BLV-uninfected or BLV-infected cattle were cultured with estradiol in the presence of anti-CD3 mAb and anti-CD28 mAb or FLK-BLV, respectively (a: BLV-uninfected cattle,n = 6, b: BLV-infected cattle, n = 6). DMSO was used as a vehicle control of estradiol. IFN-γ concentrations in culture supernatants were quantitated by ELISA. (c and d) PBMCs from BLV-uninfected cattle were cultivated with estradiol, and COX2expression (c, n = 8) and PGE2 concentration (d,n = 7) were measured by real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. (e) PBMCs from BLV-uninfected cattle (n = 10) were pretreated with each EP antagonist for one hour, and then cultured with estradiol in the presence of anti-CD3 mAb and anti-CD28 mAb. IFN-γ production in culture supernatant was determined by ELISA. (a–d) Statistical significances were determined by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. (e) Data are presented as mean ± SD, and statistical significance was determined by the Steel-Dwass test.