title: Effect of estrogen replacement therapy on distribution of myocardial blood flow in female anesthetized rabbits.
abstract: Estrogen replacement therapy reduces risk of cardiovascular events by altering coronary vasoregulation and distribution of blood flow. Vessel reactivity and blood flow distribution were assessed in anesthetized female rabbits in the following groups: 1) sham, 2) ovariectomy, 3) ovariectomy + 17beta-estradiol, and 4) ovariectomy + dehydroepiandrosterone. After a 2-wk treatment, cardiac hemodynamics, vascular reserve, and blood flow were evaluated during the following infusions: 1) NaCl, or vehicle (0.5 ml/min), 2) acetylcholine (2 mg/kg), 3) isoproterenol (2 mg. kg(-1). min(-1)), and 4) chromonar (8 mg/kg). In hearts from ovariectomized rabbits, autoregulatory blood flow was preserved despite lower diastolic perfusion pressures (55 +/- 8 vs. 64 +/- 8 mmHg in sham) and rate-pressure product (14.4 +/- 0.8 vs. 19.3 +/- 0.8 beats/min. mmHg x 10(-3)). Estrogen replacement therapy restored coronary pressure and reserve, and all drugs increased vascular conductance. In conclusion, in hearts from ovariectomized rabbits, vascular reserve declined because coronary pressure was lower; however, blood flow was preserved at a higher level than expected for oxygen demand. Estrogen replacement therapy restores myocardial oxygen supply-demand indices and returns coronary pressure-flow data to levels observed in animals with intact ovaries.
authors.affiliation: Quebec Heart Institute and Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada. jacques-r.rouleau@med.ulaval.ca
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rouleau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dagnault
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simard
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lavallée
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blouin
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kingma
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002866:Chromonar / Q000494:pharmacology; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007545:Isoproterenol; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002866:Chromonar