Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Exacerbates Cardiovascular Disease in the Presence of Low or Castrate Testosterone Levels.

Low testosterone (T), common in aging men, associates with cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is affected by T, modulates the cardiovascular effects associated with low T or castration. FSHβ:low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) mice, untreated or castrated (orchiectomy, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist), demonstrated significantly less atherogenesis compared with similarly treated LDLR mice, but not following FSH delivery.

A therapeutic target for CKD: activin A facilitates TGFβ1 profibrotic signaling.

Background: TGFβ1 is a major profibrotic mediator in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Its direct inhibition, however, is limited by adverse effects. Inhibition of activins, also members of the TGFβ superfamily, blocks TGFβ1 profibrotic effects, but the mechanism underlying this and the specific activin(s) involved are unknown.