title: Female sex hormones and platelet/endothelial cell interactions.
abstract: The effects of estradiol and progesterone added to the growth medium of human umbilical vein endothelial cells for 72 h on the formation and release of prostacyclin were investigated. The influence on collagen-induced platelet aggregation and on the platelet formation of thromboxane A2 following aggregation, of the growth medium collected before and after thrombin stimulation of the endothelial cells, was studied simultaneously. Under basal conditions, endothelial cells grown with progesterone released significantly less prostacyclin into the growth medium than did controls (p less than 0.05). Following thrombin stimulation, endothelial cells grown with estradiol (p less than 0.05) or a combination of estradiol and progesterone (p less than 0.01) contained significantly less prostacyclin than controls. No significant effects on the platelet aggregation or platelet thromboxane formation could be found. This study indicates a lowering effect of both female sex hormones on the endothelial cell prostacyclin formation and release. This may be of significance for the increased risk of vascular disease in pregnant women and oral contraceptive users, but can hardly explain the consequences of the hormonal loss occurring at the menopause.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Berge
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lyngmo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nordøy
mesh_terms: D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha / Q000032:analysis; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004958:Estradiol / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000502:physiology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000502:physiology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012307:Risk Factors; D013928:Thromboxane A2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D013928:Thromboxane A2; D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; D011464:Epoprostenol