Figure 6: Estrogen induces peritoneal macrophage polarization.

(a) Peritoneal lavage fluid was collected from sham-operated (not shown), ovariectomized (ovx, shown as time 0) or ovx mice treated with E₂ for 36 or 60 h. Macrophages were immunosorted and analyzed by real time PCR for gene expression. Data show the expression levels of genes related with proliferation (Ki67, open circles), alternative activation (Arg1, filled squares; Tgm2, open squares) and wound healing (Vegfα, triangles; IL-10, filled circles). Values were calculated using the 2^−ddCt method and normalized for the value of the sham group used as reference (=1) for each gene. (b–h) Sham-operated (triangles), ovariectomized (open circles), or ovariectomized and treated with E₂ (filled circles) animals were injected with zymosan and the number of peritoneal macrophages, polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) and monocytes was analyzed by flow cytometry at different time points (panels b-d, respectively). Immunosorted macrophages were analyzed by real time PCR for the expression of genes, as indicated (panels e–h). Values of the sham group were used as reference (=1) and are not shown; ovx values are shown at time 0. Data were calculated using the 2^−ddCt method and normalized for the value of the sham group for each gene. Results are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 3). *p < 0.05 versus ovx.