The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 197, Issue 1 , Pages 49-54, January 2009

The role of estrogen in the formation of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysm

  • Xiao-Fei Wu, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Third General Surgery Department, Affiliated ZhongShan Hospital, DaLian University, DaLian 116001, China
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +86-13009410488; Fax: +86-041182109112
    • ,
  • Jian Zhang, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Third General Surgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
    • ,
  • Saulius Paskauskas, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of General Surgery, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas LT-500009, Lithunia
    • ,
  • Shi-Jie Xin, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Third General Surgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
    • ,
  • Zhi-Quan Duan, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Third General Surgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China

Received 10 May 2007; received in revised form 31 October 2007 published online 01 July 2008.

Abstract 

Objective

The current study sought to investigate the role of estrogen in the formation of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Methods

Elastase perfusion of infrarenal AAA animal model was performed in 20 female and 20 male Wistar rats that were randomly divided into an ovariectomized/sham-operated group and an estradiol (E2) experimental/saline control group, respectively. At day 14, E2 was detected, while the mRNA and protein expressions of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and -9) in AAA tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results

The ovariectomized group showed lower estrogen levels and a higher aneurysm dilatation rate and significantly higher MMP-2 and -9 expression compared with the sham-operated group (P < .01), which was in accordance with MMP-2 and -9 mRNA expression. The E2 group showed higher estrogen levels and a lower aneurysm dilatation rate and significantly lower MMP-2 and -9 expression than did the saline control group (P < .01), which was in accordance with MMP-2 and -9 mRNA expression.

Conclusions

In the pathogenesis of AAA, estrogen may play an inhibitory role by decreasing expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 synthesis.

Keywords: Aortic aneurysm, Abdominal, Estrogen, Matrix metalloproteinase

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 Financial assistance provided by the China National Nature Science Fund (no. 30471706).

PII: S0002-9610(08)00314-0

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.11.022

The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 197, Issue 1 , Pages 49-54, January 2009

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