Estrogen protection against EAE modulates the microbiota and mucosal-associated regulatory cells

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2017.06.007
• Publication Date: 2017-06-21T16:45:18Z
• Authors: Gil Benedek; Jun Zhang; Ha Nguyen; Gail Kent; Hilary A. Seifert; Sean Davin; Patrick Stauffer; Arthur A. Vandenbark; Lisa Karstens; Mark Asquith; Halina Offner
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Mucous Membrane; Microbiota; Estrogens; Mice, Transgenic; Peptide Fragments; Interleukin-10; 3. Good health; Intestines; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Disease Models, Animal; Feces; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Spinal Cord; Antigens, CD; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Leukocytes; Animals; Female; Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein; Lymph Nodes

Sex hormones promote immunoregulatory effects on multiple sclerosis. In the current study we evaluated the composition of the gut microbiota and the mucosal-associated regulatory cells in estrogen or sham treated female mice before and after autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induction. Treatment with pregnancy levels of estrogen induces changes in the composition and diversity of gut microbiota. Additionally, estrogen prevents EAE-associated changes in the gut microbiota and might promote the enrichment of bacteria that are associated with immune regulation. Our results point to a possible cross-talk between the sex hormones and the gut microbiota, which could promote neuroprotection.