Human skin fibroblasts may be the target cells for estrogens. The aim of present study was to confirm the presence of both isoforms of estrogen receptors (ER) in these cells. Experiments were carried out in primary cultures of human skin fibroblasts. ER-α and ER-β mRNAs were measured by quantitative assays based on reverse transcription (RT) of the mRNA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the cDNA. To determine which of the ER isoforms were present and their intracellular locations immunohistochemical staining was performed. MCF-7 culture was a positive control for the immunostaining. The distribution immunostaining of ER-β protein differed from that of ER-α in skin fibroblasts. ER-α was detected in both the cytosolic and nuclear compartments of fibroblasts. ER-β was weakly detectable and was found predominantly in the nuclear compartment. Using the RT-PCR technique mRNA of both ERs was successfully detected in the skin fibroblast cultures with predominantly higher mean level of ER-β mRNA expression than ER-α mRNA. In human culture skin fibroblasts ER-β co-expresses with ER-α. The dominant expression of ER-β in cultured female skin fibroblasts suggests that ER-β may play a dominant role in collaboration with ER-α in the regulation of estrogen action in skin.

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