Effects of Supraphysiological Doses of Testosterone on Endothelial Function in Mesenteric Resistance Arteries Using Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
February 2023
in “
riUfes (Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo)
”
TLDR High testosterone affects blood vessel function, with estrogen playing a key role in maintaining heart health.
The study investigated the effects of supraphysiological doses of testosterone on endothelial function in mesenteric resistance arteries using Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. It found that testosterone treatment did not impair acetylcholine-induced vasodilation compared to the control group but altered the endothelial relaxation pathways, with reduced nitric oxide (NO) and increased prostanoids and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDH) involvement. The study also explored the roles of testosterone metabolites, 17 β-estradiol and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), finding that estrogen reduction did not impair vasodilation but altered NO and prostanoid participation, while DHT reduction impaired vasodilation. These findings highlight testosterone's complex role in endothelial function and the importance of estrogen in cardiovascular health, even with high testosterone levels.
