Oestrogen and vasculoprotection.

摘要

The lower incidence of atherosclerosis in premenopausal women compared with men has attracted considerable attention to the possible cardiovascular protective actions of oestrogen. Although the anti-atherosclerotic actions of oestrogen were originally thought to arise from an action on lipids, it is now clear that oestrogen exerts beneficial actions directly on the vasculature, generally through an action on specific receptors.1 Oestrogen receptors (ER) are members of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors.2 There are two receptors that have been identified for oestrogen, ERa and ERfJ, each of which have been found in both smooth muscle and endothelial cells and may be important in the ability of oestrogen to reduce cellular proliferation.