Background Male sex is an independent risk factor for theextent and seventy of atherosclerosis.The influence of andro-gens on foam cell formation,a key event in atherogenesis,hasnot yet been investigated.Methods and Results Primary human monocytes were al-lowed to differentiate into macrophages.RNA was then ex-tracted from healthy male-donor(n=8)and premenopaUsalfemale-donor(n=8)macrophages,and message for the androgen receptor(AR)was examined by RT-PCR.There was asignificantly higher level of AR mRNA in macroghages isolat-ed from men than in those from women,(0.64±0.06)amol/μg versus(0.15±0.02)amol/μg total RNA,P<0.001.
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