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Description

Heavy alcohol exposure can cause long-term physiological changes, with a potential for sex-specific differences in ethanol metabolism and immune response. This study investigates the impact of acute ethanol exposure on endocrine markers in adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. A total of 16 mice (8 male, 8 female) were divided into ethanol-exposed (n = 4 per sex) and control (n = 4 per sex) groups. Ethanol-exposed mice received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of 2.0 g/kg ethanol (20% v/v) twice, five days apart. One hour post-injection, blood samples were collected by submandibular sampling, centrifuged, and analyzed for 17B-estradiol using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To assess immune activation post-ethanol exposure, estradiol concentrations were measured with an 17B-Estradiol ELISA Kit. The results reveal significant sex-specific and ethanol-induced effects on 17B-estradiol levels. In male mice, ethanol exposure resulted in a significant decrease in estradiol levels compared to saline controls (p = 0.0386), similar results were observed in adult female mice (p = 0.0063). In addition, a comparison between male and female saline-treated groups suggests that baseline estradiol concentrations are naturally higher in females than in males (p = 0.0193). These findings suggest that acute ethanol modulates 17B-estradiol differently in males and females, potentially contributing to sex-specific neural and immune responses to alcohol.

Publication Date

4-1-2025

Keywords

acute ethanol exposure, estradiol, 17β-estradiol, sex differences, C57BL/6J mice, male mice, female mice, endocrine markers, immune response, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), intraperitoneal injection, alcohol metabolism, hormonal regulation, neuroendocrinology, alcohol-induced hormonal changes, sex-specific responses

Sex-Specific Steroid Levels After Acute Ethanol Exposure in Adult Mice

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