Changes in aortic endothelium ultrastructure in male rats following castration, replacement with testosterone and administration of 5alpha-reductase inhibitor.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between low androgen level and ultrastructure of vascular endothelium.


METHODS
Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: group A, normal rats with sham castration; group B, castrated rats; group C, castrated rats given testosterone (T) undecanoate; and group D, intact rats treated with 5alpha-reductase inhibitor. After 10 weeks of treatment or castration, rats in different groups were killed and serum T, free T (FT) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were measured. The aortic endothelia were scanned under electron microcopy and the Vascular Endothelium Structure Score (VESS) was computed.


RESULTS
Serum T and FT concentrations of rats in group B were significantly lower than those of the other three groups (P < 0.01); DHT concentrations of group D rats were significantly decreased (P < 0.01) when compared with those of groups A and C. Rats in groups B and D rats (with low androgen levels) had obvious damage to their endothelial surfaces, which appeared crimpled, rough, adhesive and ruptured, and had high destruction of VESS.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that low concentrations of T and DHT are associated with ultrastructural damage of the aortic endothelia in male rats.
Lu
Ying-Li
YL
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China. luy662003@yahoo.com.cn
Kuang
Lin
L
Zhu
Hui
H
Wu
Hui
H
Wang
Xue-Fang
XF
Pang
Yu-Ping
YP
Wang
Ning-Jian
NJ
Yu
Dan-Lu
DL
D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone