Chronic estradiol treatment reduces platelet responses and protects mice from thromboembolism through the hematopoietic estrogen receptor α

Blood. 2012 Aug 23;120(8):1703-12. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-01-405498. Epub 2012 Jul 9.

Abstract

Although estrogens are known to have a deleterious effect on the venous thrombosis risk and a preventive action on the development of arterial atheroma, their effect on platelet function in vivo remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that a chronic high physiologic level of estradiol (E2) in mice leads to a marked decrease in platelet responsiveness ex vivo and in vivo compared with ovariectomized controls. E2 treatment led to increased bleeding time and a resistance to thromboembolism. Hematopoietic chimera mice harboring a selective deletion of estrogen receptors (ERs) α or β were used to demonstrate that the effects of E2 were exclusively because of hematopoietic ERα. Within ERα the activation function-1 domain was not required for resistance to thromboembolism, as was previously shown for atheroprotection. This domain is mandatory for E2-mediated reproductive function and suggests that this role is controlled independently. Differential proteomics indicated that E2 treatment modulated the expression of platelet proteins including β1 tubulin and a few other proteins that may impact platelet production and activation. Overall, these data demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for E2 in regulating the platelet proteome and platelet function, and point to new potential antithrombotic and vasculoprotective therapeutic strategies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bleeding Time
  • Blood Platelets / cytology
  • Blood Platelets / drug effects*
  • Estradiol / pharmacology
  • Estradiol / therapeutic use*
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / genetics
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Deletion
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Ovariectomy
  • Platelet Aggregation / drug effects*
  • Proteome / metabolism
  • Thromboembolism / genetics
  • Thromboembolism / metabolism
  • Thromboembolism / prevention & control*
  • Tubulin / metabolism

Substances

  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Proteome
  • Tubulin
  • Estradiol