E ‘ A Af   A A   Y V   A!     A     ` A    -.» A i     V _ .   V  V;
    o   I z.    -_   _,   E; __ _. , r   V M __    oi iii   1_f_   A up L 2 V
· .,   - V·,.       » wie.   ` f  ‘   , . ‘ ,V -   V . ‘    ._ . i  . AA  <       ‘?V  A.; isi 4~», ¤   V
it -.   (   V· ‘  -~,   V ; VV—..V .41> ( l Af - ‘‘ i     .   ` M     »·-V       VA Ali? .-eil    V A
  A V-V‘ ’‘ i   ,   .— *             r ‘            v_..     V' A A           ‘
  _  A   AV  ‘                      A         _                
  V    V V.         .   ~     .·‘—   IVV   t         VVVV 1       .   ·  “        l  
  . V    `  V V = . V   V _     _ 5};    A' A   AA i   gre!  z  FV; A Ei   ,— » ;·-‘;» L  
New Findings about Heart Disease
  ‘,i’   » *ea_-.€ ‘ Y
ral AT"; V +2.
§    »~~~{ —   . .
tg  _t;. V   ( , . A UK team led by Eric Smart, Ph.D., associate profes-
  _o .»   V » ,   4., sor and vice chair of research, Department of Pediat-
  i-»-i · -V   —A rics, and the Barnstable-Brown Chair in Diabetes
  V i; V .  fi Research, UK College of Medicine, has found that
‘-ii  _-  if A7 ‘ . estrogen, as well as estradiol, associated with HDL,
V V .     A _= .   may produce protection against heart disease. _
  · ~ (   ~ VV· "A _A gg, A ‘V V ‘,  __ § · I { ,_   numerous protective effects in the cardio-
. ' _   ·‘ (   _  · '  *  r .   i   '  - V  ·   vascular system including lowering of blood
Ar 3  S  .    i· » V H"? [ _ _. _ pressure and anti-inflammatory effects.
· iV"   Al _·§ ' * $  `   Given the earlier work, the research team
\x/ hat is good cholesterol? _ ,   ~ . | A .· .·“A tested the hypothesis that HDL and estro-
Does it lower the risk of   Ai    A - 5 5. 7 V gen (and estradiol) work together to pro-
heart disease? Does estrogen play   · fop ¤__A   duce nitric oxide and provide subsequent
I a role in lowering the risk of heart     " y   cardiovascular benefits.
I attacks? Should postmenopausal " _. _o F `V In studies using cell culture and animal
V women go on hormone replace- __ _, I ly} ` . models, it was found that male HDL and fe-
1 ment therapy (HRT) to prevent , j 4, .V—     § male HDL are different. HRT, estradiol
. heart disease? , 5A     .   specifically, worked in conjunction with
A UK study sheds new light on ‘ Q HDL to produce nitric oxide, and poten-
these questions by presenting a V r I? tially, cardioprotective effects.
new picture of the roles of estro- g In human studies, HDL isolated from
gen, estradiol (a form of estrogen gg women stimulated the production of nitric
used in HRT) and good choles— { oxide, whereas HDL isolated from men had
terol (high density lipoproteins, or minimal activity Also, HDL isolated from
HDL) in heart disease. premenopausal women or postmenopausal women receiving
A UK team, led by Eric Smart, Ph.D., associate profes- estradiol stimulated the production of nitric oxide, whereas
sor and vice chair of research, Department of Pediatrics, HDL isolated from postmenopausal women did not.
and Barnstable-Brown Chair in Diabetes Research, UK ln summary, the team, based on these results, concludes
College of Medicine, has found that estrogen, as well as es- that HDL works with estrogen, as well as estradiol, in stimu-
tradiol, associated with HDL, may produce protection lating the production of nitric oxide. These studies establish a
against heart disease. This protection may come through new model for examining the cardiovascular effects of HDL
stimulation of the production of nitric oxide, which lowers and estrogen, and may have future implications in the preven-
blood pressure and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. tion and progression of cardiovascular disease as well as the
HDL and estrogen act together, or concurrently, to stimu- use of HRT for cardioprotective effects.
late the protection of nitric oxide and provide cardio- The study is part of the $8.3 million National Institutes of
protective results. Health Center for Biomedical Research Excellence
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investiga- (COBRE) grant, the largest single grant ever to be awarded
tion, produces a new model for examining the cardiovascu- in the area of women’s health at UK.
lar effects of HDL and estrogen, and may have future
implications in the study of cardiovascular disease, as well
as in women’s health, particularly areas involving HRT For moto information about
The research team examined two factors associated with reeear-eh taking piaee at UK,
a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, HDL _, _- . 1 , visit www-rgs-¤ky·ed¤ and
levels and sex. Specifically, there is a decreased risk for   ‘    
Qiritdgiirsi.%;‘;,€..‘;‘;;‘1;$;i».i‘J.?‘°L tm   8 d €°’€a Sed     V*·a.VVK ew ~:;¤2~>“°N
‘ ' WC 3 C, WWWJ1 .0 U
In previous studies, it has been shown that HDL and es- gggpgggggcr [EWS - Arumgug
trogen stimulate the production of nrtrrc oxide, which has Posoaooh at UK.
KENTUCKY Aturvmi 1 1