Conclusions
Estrogen may therefore be considered to counterbalance some of the adverse changes seen in the wall of intramural coronaries in the early stages of chronic hypertension.
Methods
We investigated diameter, tone, and mechanics of intramural coronaries taken from ovariectomized female rats (n = 11) that received chronic AII treatment to induce hypertension, and compared the
Objective
Hypertension causes adverse remodeling and vasomotor alterations in coronaries. Hormones such as estrogen may help counterbalance some of these effects. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of ovariectomy and estrogen therapy in a rat model of menopausal hypertension induced by angiotensin II (AII).
Results
In hypertension, intramural small coronaries show inward eutrophic remodeling after ovariectomy comparing with hypertensive controls. Estrogen therapy had an opposite effect on vessel diameter. Hormone therapy led to an increase in spontaneous tone, allowing for greater dilatative capacity. Conclusions: Estrogen may therefore be considered to counterbalance some of the adverse changes seen in the wall of intramural coronaries in the early stages of chronic hypertension.