H. Hanke et al., Effect of testosterone on plaque development and androgen receptor expression in the arterial vessel wall, CIRCULATION, 103(10), 2001, pp. 1382-1385
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems","Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
Background-Recent studies have suggested that testosterone has a protective
effect in the arterial vascular system. However, little is known about the
molecular aspects of the mechanism(s) involved in these processes. The aim
of the present study was to investigate the effect of testosterone on neoi
ntimal plaque development and on the expression of the vascular androgen re
ceptor.
Methods and Results-Neointimal plaque formation was induced by endothelial
denudation in the aortas of male New Zealand White rabbits. Aortic ring seg
ments were cultured for 21 days after endothelial denudation. Testosterone
was applied to the culture medium in different doses. Compared with the non
-hormone-treated control group, a significant inhibition of neointimal plaq
ue development (expressed as the intima/media ratio) was found at testoster
one concentrations of 10 ng/mL (P=0.037) and 100 ng/mL (P=0.012; intima/med
ia ratios: median of controls, 0.25; median of 10 ng/mL testosterone group,
0.15; median of 100 ng/mL testosterone group, 0.16). Associated with this
inhibitory effect on plaque size was a 50% increase of the amount of androg
en receptor mRNA in the arterial segments treated with testosterone.
Conclusion-The beneficial effects of testosterone on postinjury plaque deve
lopment underlines, at least in males, the important role of androgens in t
he vascular system, As our data suggest, the vascular androgen receptor is
probably involved in these processes. Further studies are required to chara
cterize the androgen receptor-dependent pathways in the vascular system.