Estrogen\u27s Effects on Oxidative Stress Levels in Glial Cells

A decrease in astrocyte function and viability has been linked to many neurodegenerative diseases, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Previous research indicates that some estrogens may have a positive effect on neuron and astrocyte viability. Estrogens’ effects on the brain are of interest as estrogens are commonly prescribed as hormone replacement therapy to reduce the symptoms of menopause in women. Unfortunately, these effects on are not completely understood. The goal of the project was to discover if estrogen has any protective effect on astrocytes exposed to oxidative stress. We measured the oxidative stress level ofN1 1321 glial cells that were exposed to 600pM hydrogen peroxide. The astrocytes were pretreated for one hour with one of four types of estrogen at four concentrations ranging ffomlOnM - IOJIM. Two endogenous human estrogens, 17 alpha-estradiol and 17 beta-estradiol, and two equine estrogens, equilin and equilenin, were utilized. Only 17 alpha-estradiol showed a statistical difference in the oxidative stress levels of astrocytes. However, the results indicate that differing estrogen concentration still had no effect on the oxidative stress levels in unstressed astrocyte populations