Aromatase is required for female abdominal aortic aneurysm protection.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The protective effects of female gender on the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) have been attributed to anti-inflammatory effects of estrogen. Estrogen synthesis is dependent on the enzyme aromatase, which is located both centrally in the ovaries and peripherally in adipose tissue, bone, and vascular smooth muscle cells. It is hypothesized that deletion of aromatase in both ovarian and peripheral tissues would diminish the protective effect of female gender and would be associated with increased aortic diameter in female mice.

Methods

Male and female 8- to 10-week-old mice with aromatase (wild type: WT) and without aromatase (ArKO) underwent elastase aortic perfusion with aortic harvest 14 days following. For the contribution of central and peripher

SUBMITTER: Johnston WF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4147033 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature