Conclusion: Estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and beta were expressed in the inner ear, and expression decreased with increasing age. ERalpha may alter cochlear and vestibular sensory transduction, and ERbeta may have a neuroprotective function in the inner ear.
Objective: Expression of ERalpha and ERbeta in the mouse inner ear and its alterations with sex and aging were analyzed.
Materials and methods: Male and female CBA/J mice aged 8 weeks and 24 months were used. The localization and the intensity of ERalpha and ERbeta immunoreactivity in the inner ear of young and old mice of both sexes were investigated by immunohistochemistry.
Results: ERalpha and ERbeta were co-expressed in the inner ear, i.e. in the nuclei of stria vascularis, outer and inner hair cells, spiral ganglion cells and vestibular ganglion cells, vestibular dark cells and endolymphatic sac. Strial marginal cells, outer hair cells and type II ganglion cells showed less expression of ERalpha. No gender- or age-related difference was noted in the expression pattern of ERalpha or ERbeta, but fluorescence intensity of ERalpha was stronger in young female mice than in young male mice. In contrast, ERbeta revealed no significant difference. In the old mice, fluorescence intensities of both ERalpha and ERbeta were significantly decreased in both sexes.