Estrogen modulates hepatic gene expression and survival of rainbow trout infected with pathogenic bacteria Yersinia ruckeri.

Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed to two different concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2) (2 or 20 mg/kg feed), and then infected with three concentrations of Yersinia ruckeri, a bacterial pathogen causing massive losses in wild and farmed salmonid populations. Infection with Y. ruckeri caused mortality of trout, and this effect was significantly enhanced by simultaneous exposure to high E2 dose. Analysis of hepatic gene expression profiles revealed complex regulations of pathways involved in immune responses, stress responses and detoxicification pathways. E2 markedly reduced expression of several genes implicated in xenobiotic metabolism. The results suggest that the interaction between pathogen and E2 interfered with the fish’s capability of clearing toxic compounds. The findings of the current study add to our understanding of multiple exposure responses in fish. Microarray analyses compared 3 groups of pathogen infected fish: no estrogen treatment (NE2), low (LE2) and high (HE2) doses of hormone