Abstract P156: Estrogen Regulation of Endothelin-B Receptor Mediated Vasodilation

Abstract

Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that a loss of endothelin-B (ETB) receptor mediated dilation contributes to impaired vasodilatory function in postmenopausal women. It is unclear if these changes are due to aging, or alterations in ovarian hormones that occur after menopause. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that in a low estradiol state, there is a loss of ETB mediated dilation, and that estradiol administration reverses these responses and mediates dilation. Methods: We tested 8 young women (YW: 24±2 years, 23±1 kg/m 2 , mean arterial BP 84±2mHg) and 6 postmenopausal women (PMW: 56±1 years, 24±1 kg/m 2 , mean arterial BP 94±2mHg). In YW, we suppressed endogenous ovarian hormone production with daily gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRHant; Ganirelix) administration for 10 days, adding estradiol (E2, 0.1 mg/day, Vivelle dot patch) on days 4-10. PMW were tested at baseline and after 1-week E2 administration (0.1 mg/day, Vivelle dot patch). We measured nitric-oxide mediated vasodilation in the cutaneous circulation during local heating (42°C) via laser Doppler flowmetry, followed by microdialysis perfusions of sodium nitroprusside (28mM) with local heating to 43°C to elicit maximal dilation. Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was calculated as cutaneous blood flow/mean arterial blood pressure, and expressed as a percent of maximal dilation. Results: ETB receptor blockade increased vasodilation in YW during hormone suppression with GnRHant (control: 88±3 vs. BQ-788: 94±2 CVC %max, P <0.05). However, ETB receptor blockaded tended to reduce vaodilation during E2 administration (control: 88±3 vs. BQ-788: 82±2 CVC %max, P =0.12). In PMW, ETB receptor blockade had no significant effect on vasodilatory responses (control: 90±4 vs. BQ-788: 95±2 CVC %max, P =0.20). Similarly, ETB receptor blockade did not alter vasodilation after E2 administration (control: 88±7 vs. BQ-788: 88±4 CVC %max). Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that suppression of endogenous ovarian hormone production alters ETB receptor responses in young women, which is partially mediated by E2. Additional data are needed to determine ETB receptor sensitivity to E2 after menopause.