Influence of estrous cycle and estradiol on mitogenic responses of splenic T- and B-lymphocytes.

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that the stage of the estrous cycle and hormone treatment regulates the presence of immune cells in the female reproductive tract. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether sex hormones influence spleen cell responses to mitogens. The present study demonstrates that spleen cell responses to mitogens vary with the stage of the estrous cycle in intact rats. Further, our findings indicate that estradiol administered to ovariectomized animals increases the mitogenic response of spleen cells to both B and T lymphocyte mitogens.