Aromatase Modulates Cardiac Ischemic Stress Response

Beyond vascular effects, can estrogen produced in the heart have an influence on cardiac function? Is the local action of aromatase conversion of testosterone to estrogen important for the stressed heart? Listen as Guest Editor Dr. Virginia Miller interviews lead author Lea Delbridge (University of Melbourne) and expert Fred Naftolin (New York University) about the exciting new work by Bell et al showing aromatase expression in the heart at both the messenger and protein level. Given that the human heart is sexually dimorphic, and that this may extend past development to actual function, what insightful differences did the authors find in male and female aromatase transgenic mouse hearts? Listen now.

James R. Bell, Gabriel B. Bernasochi, Upasna Varma, Wah Chin Boon, Stuart J. Ellem, Gail P. Risbridger, Lea M. D. Delbridge Aromatase transgenic upregulation modulates basal cardiac performance and the response to ischemic stress in male mice Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published May 1, 2014. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00012.2014.