Estrogen worsens allergic reactions in mice

(NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) Estradiol, a type of estrogen, enhances the levels and activity in mice of an enzyme that drives life-threatening allergic reactions, according to NIAID researchers. The study results may help explain why women frequently experience more severe allergic reactions compared to men. Furthermore, the results reaffirm the importance of accounting for gender in the design of animal experiments.