HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free All Versions of this Article: 102/3/890    most recent 00877.2006v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moreau, K. L. Articles by Seals, D. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Moreau, K. L. Articles by Seals, D. R.

Oxidative stress contributes to chronic leg vasoconstriction in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women

¹Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder; and ²Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado

Submitted 8 August 2006 ; accepted in final form 8 November 2006

Basal whole leg blood flow and vascular conductance are reduced in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women. The underlying mechanisms are unknown, but oxidative stress could be involved. We studied 9 premenopausal [23 ± 1 yr (mean ± SE)] and 20 estrogen-deficient postmenopausal (55 ± 1 yr) healthy women. During baseline control, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a marker of oxidative stress, was 50% greater in the postmenopausal women (P < 0.001). Basal whole leg blood flow (duplex ultrasound of femoral artery) was 34% lower in the postmenopausal women because of a 38% lower leg vascular conductance (P < 0.0001); mean arterial pressure was not different. Intravenous administration of a supraphysiological dose of the antioxidant ascorbic acid increased leg blood flow by 15% in the postmenopausal women as a result of an increase in leg vascular conductance (both P < 0.001), but it did not affect leg blood flow in premenopausal controls or mean arterial pressure in either group. In the pooled subjects, the changes in leg blood flow and leg vascular conductance with ascorbic acid were related to baseline plasma oxidized LDL (r = 0.46 and 0.53, P < 0.01) and waist-to-hip ratio and total body fat (r = 0.41–0.44, all P < 0.05). Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that oxidative stress contributes to chronic leg vasoconstriction and reduced basal whole leg blood flow in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women. This oxidative stress-related suppression of leg vascular conductance and blood flow may be linked in part to increased total and abdominal adiposity.

aging; arteries; menopause; abdominal fat

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. J. Donato, L. B. Gano, I. Eskurza, A. E. Silver, P. E. Gates, K. Jablonski, and D. R. Seals Vascular endothelial dysfunction with aging: endothelin-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, July 1, 2009; 297(1): H425 - H432. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R. Seals, C. A. DeSouza, A. J. Donato, and H. Tanaka Habitual exercise and arterial aging J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2008; 105(4): 1323 - 1332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. Donato, I. Eskurza, K. L. Jablonski, L. B. Gano, G. L. Pierce, and D. R. Seals Cytochrome P-450 2C9 signaling does not contribute to age-associated vascular endothelial dysfunction in humans J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2008; 105(4): 1359 - 1363. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. M. Miller and S. P. Duckles Vascular Actions of Estrogens: Functional Implications Pharmacol. Rev., June 1, 2008; 60(2): 210 - 241. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Jablonski, D. R. Seals, I. Eskurza, K. D. Monahan, and A. J. Donato High-dose ascorbic acid infusion abolishes chronic vasoconstriction and restores resting leg blood flow in healthy older men J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2007; 103(5): 1715 - 1721. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]