17 Beta-estradiol increases endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA copy number in cerebral blood vessels: quantification by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
The enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a critical role in the maintenance of vascular tone. The mechanism by which estrogen increases eNOS function remains controversial. We demonstrate here using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunoblot analysis that in vivo estrogen treatment leads to a 100% increase in eNOS messenger RNA (mRNA) copy number and increases eNOS protein levels by 47% in mouse cerebral blood vessels. These data suggest that estrogen can modulate eNOS at the transcriptional level in blood vessels in vivo.
Stirone
Chris
C
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Code 4625, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4625, USA.
Chu
Yi
Y
Sunday
Lorraine
L
Duckles
Sue P
SP
Krause
Diana N
DN
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010052:Ovariectomy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004958:Estradiol; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse