Involvement of estrogen receptors α and β in the regulation of cervical permeability

Estrogen increases the permeability of cultured human cervical epithelia (Gorodeski, GI. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 275: C888-C899, 1998), and the effect is blocked by the estrogen receptor modulators ICI-182780 and tamoxifen. The objective of the study was to determine involvement of estrogen receptor(s) in mediating the effects on permeability. In cultured human cervical epithelial cells estradiol binds to high-affinity, low-capacity sites, in a specific and saturable manner. Scatchard analysis revealed a single class of binding sites with a dissociation constant of 1.3 nM and binding activity of approximately 0.5 pmol/mg DNA. Estradiol increased the density of estrogen-binding sites in a time- and dose-related manner (half time approximately 4 h, and EC(50) approximately 1 nM). RT-PCR assays revealed the expression of mRNA for the estrogen receptor alpha (alphaER) and estrogen receptor beta (betaER). Removal of estrogen from the culture medium decreased and treatment with estrogen increased the expression of alphaER and betaER mRNA. In cells not treated with estrogen, ICI-182780 and tamoxifen increased betaER mRNA. In cells treated with estrogen, neither ICI-182780 nor tamoxifen had modulated significantly the increase in alphaER or betaER mRNA. The transcription inhibitor actinomycin D blocked the estrogen-induced increase in permeability, and it abrogated the estradiol-induced increase in estrogen binding sites. These results suggest that the estrogen-dependent increase in cervical permeability is mediated by an alphaER-dependent increase in transcription.