Table 4.

In vivo effects of 17β-estradiol on the gene expression of estrogen receptors and aromatase CYP19 in the peritoneal leukocytes (PTL) and in the liver (LV).

Gene	PTL		LV
	24 hpi	96 hpi	24 hpi	96 hpi
erα	0.59 ± 0.08	1.47 ± 0.19##	12.4 ± 1.8***	10.1 ± 0.66***
erβ	0.74 ± 0.24	1 ± 0.17	0.88 ± 0.24	1.6 ± 0.32
gpr30	1.2 ± 0.15	1.33 ± 0.28	0.2 ± 0.1*	0.9 ± 0.25
cyp19a	2.27 ± 0.62	0.3 ± 0.1##	0.2 ± 0.09*	0.4 ± 0.9
cyp19b	0.59 ± 0.07	3.84 ± 1**##	0.52 ± 0.26	1.23 ± 0.21

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 peritoneal leukocytes and 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 PTLs or livers derived from fish fed with control (non-E2) and E2-treated food at 24 or 96 hpi (*p ≤ 0.05, ***p ≤ 0.0001). 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, ##p ≤ 0.001)