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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 91/1/261    most recent expphysiol.2005.032060v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Giménez, J. Articles by Hernández, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Giménez, J. Articles by Hernández, I. Related Collections Vascular

¹ Department of Physiology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Spain

We investigated the role of oestrogen in the function and structure of the microcirculation of female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and evaluated the effect of 17ß-oestradiol on their cardiovascular response to pharmacological agents that block the formation of angiotensin II. Ten-week-old SHRs were randomly assigned to the following groups: intact, ovariectomized, and ovariectomized treated with 17ß-oestradiol (1.5 mg delivered over 60 days) and/or captopril (5 mg kg^–1 day^–1 for 8 weeks). Systolic blood pressure was determined from the time of ovariectomy up to 18 weeks of age, at which time endothelial function and microvascular density in skeletal muscle were evaluated. Both 17ß-oestradiol and captopril prevented development of hypertension in ovariectomized rats. Furthermore, coadministration of both drugs had a greater antihypertensive effect than either one alone. Acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation was impaired in ovariectomized SHRs, and the response was improved by treatment with 17ß-oestradiol and/or captopril. In addition, 17ß-oestradiol replacement in ovariectomized rats enhanced the effect of captopril on acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation. Ovariectomized rats also showed lower microvascular density than intact rats, an effect that was prevented by 17ß-oestradiol replacement or captopril treatment and, to a significantly larger extent, by coadministration of both. We concluded that both 17ß-oestradiol and captopril attenuated the development of hypertension and improved the impairment in microvascular density of ovariectomized SHRs. Moreover, when simultaneously administered, oestradiol and captopril had an additive effect on blood pressure and the microvasculature.

(Received 30 August 2005; accepted after revision 7 November 2005; first published online 10 November 2005)
Corresponding author I. Hernandez: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain. Email: isabelhg{at}um.es