Two-way communication between endometrial stromal cells and monocytes.

Immune system cells and cells of the endometrium have long been proposed to interact in both physiological and pathological processes. The current study was undertaken to examine communication between cultured monocytes and endometrial stromal cells and also to assess responses of endometrial stromal cells for treatment with estradiol (E) in the absence and presence of medroxyprogesterone acetate (P). A telomerase-immortalized human endometrial stromal cell (T-HESC) line and the U937 monocyte cell line were used.

Understanding the cardiovascular actions of soy isoflavones: potential novel targets for antihypertensive drug development.

Interest in and use of "natural" remedies has grown exponentially in recent years. Compounds that have attracted considerable attention are the isoflavones, particular those found in soy. This review will provide a critical evaluation of our current understanding of the effects, mechanisms of action, and potential clinical applications of soy isoflavones in hypertension.

Effect of ovariectomy on blood pressure and venous tone in female spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background: Venous capacitance plays an important role in circulatory homeostasis. A number of reports have suggested an effect of estrogen on venous function. This study tested the hypothesis that ovariectomy would increase venous tone in the female spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) via autonomic mechanisms.

Expression of type 1 and 2A protein phosphatase subunits in the rat corpus luteum across pregnancy.

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that the reduction in protein phosphatase activity that had been observed at mid-pregnancy in the rat corpus luteum (CL) was due to a decrease in expression of one of the catalytic subunits or an increase in one of the B regulatory subunits of the type 2A protein phosphatase (PP2A). Ovaries were collected from rats on days (d) 1, 3, 7, 14, 20, and 21 of pregnancy, and on day 21 after progesterone treatment on day 20 (n = 6). Real-time RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of the alpha and beta isoforms of the catalytic subunit, the structural A subunit, and three B regulatory subunits of PP2A, as well as the catalytic subunit of PP1.

Effects of estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators on vascular reactivity in the perfused mesenteric vascular bed.

Estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as raloxifene (RAL) and tamoxifen (TAM), acutely relax arteries, but the long-term effects of estrogens and SERMs on vascular reactivity in the mesenteric vasculature have not been well defined. In this study, we used an isolated, perfused mesenteric vascular bed technique to investigate the effect of chronic treatment of estrogens and SERMs on vascular reactivity of the mesenteric bed. Ovariectomized female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated by gavage with vehicle (control, 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin), ethinyl estradiol, estradiol benzoate, equilin (EQ), TAM, or RAL for 3 wk.

The effects of estrogen and testosterone on gene expression in the rat mesenteric arteries.

A dramatic difference exists in the timing of development of cardiovascular disease in men vs. women. The primary candidates underlying the cause of this gender difference are the sex steroids, estrogen and testosterone.