ABSTRACT
Susceptibility to amyloidosis is reduced in females as compared to males in several disease entities. This chapter explores a possible lower propensity for amyloidogenesis in female mice and to elucidate hormonal associations of such a possible trend. In the murine model, female amyloidogenesis is quantitatively less pronounced than that of males. Male and female Swiss mice, 8 to 18 weeks old, underwent induction of amyloidosis and the presence and amount of splenic amyloid was compared in the 2 sexes. Induction of amyloidosis was performed on 8 mice in each study or control group using the enhanced (AEF) protocol. Amyloidosis was induced in the mice by two methods: casein injection and enhanced induction by AEF. Increased production of other hormones, such as adrenalin, may cause gender differences by suppressing female amyloidogenesis. These findings are consistent with human gender discrepancy in reactive amyloidosis, and may favor genetic over environmental factors in the protection of females from amyloidosis.
