Table 3.

In vivo effects of 17β-estradiol on the gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators in the liver.

Gene	24 hpi	96 hpi
inos	1.36 ± 0.38	0.37 ± 0.16* #
il-1β	1.51 ± 0.61	1.34 ± 0.56
arginase 1	0.66 ± 0.34	2.2 ± 1.66
arginase 2	1.12 ± 0.41	2.24 ± 0.59
il-10	1.16 ± 0.45	2.39 ± 1.9
c3	0.77 ± 0.1	0.835 ± 0.4
crp1	0.913 ± 0.38	0.8 ± 0.19
crp2	0.48 ± 0.07*	0.18 ± 0.08**

Fish were fed for 14 days with control food (non-E2) or food treated with 17β-estradiol (E2, 20 mg/kg food). On day 14 of E2 feeding, fish were injected i.p. with A. salmonicida (4 × 10⁸ bacteria in 250 μL PBS per fish). At 24 and 96 h post-infection (hpi), the livers were collected, and gene expression was measured. Changes in gene expression are shown as x-fold increase compared to control group (non-E2) and standardized for the housekeeping gene 40S ribosomal protein s11. Averages and S.E. (n = 7). Stars (*) indicate statistically significant differences in the gene expression in the livers derived from fish fed with control (non-E2) and E2-treated food at 24 or 96 hpi (*p ≤ 0.05, **p ≤ 0.001). Number signs (#) indicate statistically significant differences between fish fed with E2-treated food in two time points (24 hpi vs 96 hpi) (#p ≤ 0.05)