TY - JOUR
T1 - Signalling mechanisms in the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen
T2 - With a focus on rapid/membrane signalling.
AU - Niță, Ana Roberta
AU - Knock, Greg A.
AU - Heads, Richard J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s)
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - In modern society, cardiovascular disease remains the biggest single threat to life, being responsible for approximately one third of worldwide deaths. Male prevalence is significantly higher than that of women until after menopause, when the prevalence of CVD increases in females until it eventually exceeds that of men. Because of the coincidence of CVD prevalence increasing after menopause, the role of estrogen in the cardiovascular system has been intensively researched during the past two decades in vitro, in vivo and in observational studies. Most of these studies suggested that endogenous estrogen confers cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory effects. However, clinical studies of the cardioprotective effects of hormone replacement therapies (HRT) not only failed to produce proof of protective effects, but also revealed the potential harm estrogen could cause. The “critical window of hormone therapy” hypothesis affirms that the moment of its administration is essential for positive treatment outcomes, pre-menopause (3–5 years before menopause) and immediately post menopause being thought to be the most appropriate time for intervention. Since many of the cardioprotective effects of estrogen signaling are mediated by effects on the vasculature, this review aims to discuss the effects of estrogen on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) with a focus on the role of estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ and GPER) in triggering the more recently discovered rapid, or membrane delimited (non-genomic), signaling cascades that are vital for regulating vascular tone, preventing hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.
AB - In modern society, cardiovascular disease remains the biggest single threat to life, being responsible for approximately one third of worldwide deaths. Male prevalence is significantly higher than that of women until after menopause, when the prevalence of CVD increases in females until it eventually exceeds that of men. Because of the coincidence of CVD prevalence increasing after menopause, the role of estrogen in the cardiovascular system has been intensively researched during the past two decades in vitro, in vivo and in observational studies. Most of these studies suggested that endogenous estrogen confers cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory effects. However, clinical studies of the cardioprotective effects of hormone replacement therapies (HRT) not only failed to produce proof of protective effects, but also revealed the potential harm estrogen could cause. The “critical window of hormone therapy” hypothesis affirms that the moment of its administration is essential for positive treatment outcomes, pre-menopause (3–5 years before menopause) and immediately post menopause being thought to be the most appropriate time for intervention. Since many of the cardioprotective effects of estrogen signaling are mediated by effects on the vasculature, this review aims to discuss the effects of estrogen on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) with a focus on the role of estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ and GPER) in triggering the more recently discovered rapid, or membrane delimited (non-genomic), signaling cascades that are vital for regulating vascular tone, preventing hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.
KW - Cardiovascular
KW - Endothelial
KW - ER
KW - Estrogen receptor
KW - GPER
KW - Rapid signaling
KW - Vascular smooth muscle
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120306680&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.crphys.2021.03.003
DO - 10.1016/j.crphys.2021.03.003
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85120306680
SN - 2665-9441
VL - 4
SP - 103
EP - 118
JO - Current Research in Physiology
JF - Current Research in Physiology
ER -
