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OESTROGEN AND TRANSPLANT VASCULAR DISEASE
Author(s) -
Saito Satoshi,
Foegh Marie L,
Lou Hong,
Aras Rohit,
Ramwell Peter W
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1681.1999.02998.x
Subject(s) - arteriosclerosis , immune system , growth factor , medicine , receptor , histocompatibility , major histocompatibility complex , endocrinology , immunology , transplantation , disease , biology , antigen , human leukocyte antigen
1. The aetiology of chronic rejection is clearly multifactorial and relates to both immunological and non‐immunological factors. 2. Our studies suggest that the insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐I ligand and receptor genes are rate limiting in smooth muscle proliferation in the development of transplant arteriosclerosis. 3. Suppressing growth factor ligand or receptor expression could be effective strategies for the prevention or treatment of transplant arteriosclerosis. 4. We consistently find chronic oestradiol treatment of transplant recipients inhibits arteriosclerosis by attenuating both IGF‐I expression and the immune response, particularly major histocompatibility complex class II expression. 5. Thus, a cell‐ or tissue‐specific oestrogen with minimal feminizing properties may be an ideal drug for prevention of one of the major causes of loss of transplant function.