OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of P, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and dydrogesterone (DYD) and its metabolite, 20-alpha-dihydrodydrogesterone (DHD) on endothelial synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) and characterize the signaling events recruited by these compounds. The Women's Health Initiative trial reports an excess of heart disease in postmenopausal women receiving MPA. DESIGN: Cell culture. SETTING: Research laboratory. PATIENT(S): Human endothelial cells from umbilical vein. INTERVENTION(S): Treatments with P, MPA, DYD, or DHD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Measure of NO release, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and expression, and activation of ERK 1/2 and Akt. RESULT(S): The administration of DYD alone or in combination with estrogen to endothelial cells results in neutral effects on NO synthesis and on the activity and expression of eNOS. In parallel, the stable metabolite DHD acts similarly to natural P, enhancing the expression of eNOS and inducing rapid activation of the enzyme through the regulation of the ERK 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. 20-Alpha-dihydrodydrogesterone and P also potentiate eNOS induction by E2. On the contrary, MPA does not trigger eNOS enzymatic activation and decreases the extent of eNOS induction by E2. CONCLUSION(S): These findings support the concept that synthetic progestins act differently on vascular cells and that hormonal preparations may differ as to their cardiovascular effects.

Effects of dydrogesterone and of its stable metabolite, 20-alpha-dihydrodydrogesterone, on nitric oxide synthesis in human endothelial cells.

SIMONCINI, TOMMASO;MANNELLA, PAOLO;FORNARI, LETIZIA;GENAZZANI, ANDREA
2006-01-01

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of P, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and dydrogesterone (DYD) and its metabolite, 20-alpha-dihydrodydrogesterone (DHD) on endothelial synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) and characterize the signaling events recruited by these compounds. The Women's Health Initiative trial reports an excess of heart disease in postmenopausal women receiving MPA. DESIGN: Cell culture. SETTING: Research laboratory. PATIENT(S): Human endothelial cells from umbilical vein. INTERVENTION(S): Treatments with P, MPA, DYD, or DHD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Measure of NO release, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and expression, and activation of ERK 1/2 and Akt. RESULT(S): The administration of DYD alone or in combination with estrogen to endothelial cells results in neutral effects on NO synthesis and on the activity and expression of eNOS. In parallel, the stable metabolite DHD acts similarly to natural P, enhancing the expression of eNOS and inducing rapid activation of the enzyme through the regulation of the ERK 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. 20-Alpha-dihydrodydrogesterone and P also potentiate eNOS induction by E2. On the contrary, MPA does not trigger eNOS enzymatic activation and decreases the extent of eNOS induction by E2. CONCLUSION(S): These findings support the concept that synthetic progestins act differently on vascular cells and that hormonal preparations may differ as to their cardiovascular effects.
2006
Simoncini, Tommaso; Caruso, A; Giretti, Ms; Scorticati, C; Fu, Xd; Garibaldi, S; Baldacci, C; Mannella, Paolo; Fornari, Letizia; Genazzani, Andrea
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/179426
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 3
  • Scopus 41
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 35
social impact