Effects of Estradiol and Tamoxifen on Leukocyte Distribution in Response to Restraint Stress in Mice (Mus musculus)

Abstract

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), drugs that either mimic or block the action of estrogen but do not have its side effects, have been under intense research since the early 20th century because of their distinct biological functions as antagonists and agonists in cells through their unique molecular conformations. Previous, unpublished research has found a correlation between a reduction in the leukocytic stress response in mice and injection with a natural form of estrogen, estradiol. The present study tested the effects of a SERM, tamoxifen, on the leukocyte distribution in mice after subjection to restraint stress. No difference was found in the leukocyte distribution between stressed mice that were treated with tamoxifen and those that were injected with the vehicle. Further, in opposition to previous work, there was no difference found in the leukocyte distribution in mice injected with estradiol, which exhibited an augmented leukocytic stress response, compared to the mice that were injected with the vehicle.