Transcription profiling of mouse sex differences in response to Plasmodium chabaudi infection: involvement of gonadal steroids

ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to examine whether immune responses to Plasmodium chabaudi infection differ between the sexes and are altered by the presence of gonadal steroids. Gonadally-intact males were more likely than intact females to die following P. chabaudi infection, exhibit slower recovery from infection-associated weight loss, hypothermia, and anemia, have reduced IFNγ-associated gene expression and IFNγ production during peak parasitemia, and produce less antibody during the recovery phase of infection. Gonadectomy of male and female mice altered these sex-associated differences, suggesting that sex steroid hormone, in particular androgens and estrogens, may modulate immune responses to infection. Experiment Overall Design: Intact and gonadectomized (gdx) male and female C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with 106 P. chabaudi AS-infected erythrocytes and responses to infection were monitored. For microarray analyses, RNA was isolated from 5 x 106 white blood cells (WBCs) that were isolated from spleens 0, 3, 7, or 14 days after inoculation with P. chabaudi. Equivalent aliquots of RNA from 3 animals/treatment group were pooled and 3 separate pools were processed on separate Affymetrix GeneChips (n = 3 GeneChips/time point/treatment group).

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Sabra Lynn Klein 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-4324 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress