Estradiol Has Differential Effects on Acute Colonic Inflammation in the Presence and Absence of Estrogen Receptor β Expression

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) increases the risk of developing colon cancer. This risk is higher in men compared to women, implicating a role for female hormones in the protection against this disease. Studies from our laboratory demonstrated that estradiol (E2) protects against inflammation-associated colon tumor formation when administered following chemical carcinogen and induction of chronic colitis.