AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 234, Issue 4 454-H459, Copyright © 1978 by American Physiological Society
Gonadal hormones and pathogenesis of occlusive arterial thrombosis
A. D. Uzunova, E. R. Ramey and P. W. Ramwell
Arterial thrombus formation was induced in male and female Wistar rats (3
mo) by inserting a loop-shaped polyethylene cannula into the abdominal
aorta. Thrombogenesis was also induced in mature male and female New
Zealand rabbits by constriction of the femoral artery and injection of
ellagic acid. The criteria for thrombus development in the cannulated rats
were: incidence of thrombosis (IT), obstruction time (OT), and thrombus
weight (TW). We observed a significant sex difference in all these criteria
of thrombogenesis in both rats and rabbits. Pretreatment of either sex with
Depo-testosterone shortened OT, increased TW about fivefold in males and
threefold in females, and increased mortality rate (MR) more than fourfold
in both sexes. Prolonged pretreatment with Depo-testosterone increased in
all aspects of thrombogenesis. Depo-estradiol had marginal ameliorating
effects in male rats only. Both the antiandrogen Flutamide, and aspirin,
significantly decreased the thrombogenic effects of testosterone. Thus,
testosterone may be a significant risk factor in experimentally induced
thrombogenesis in rats and rabbits.
