Estrogen Attenuates the Emotional Stress-induced Cardiac Responses in the Animal Model of Tako-Tsubo (Ampulla) Cardiomyopathy

• Published in: Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology Vol. 42 Suppl 1; pp. S117 - S120
• Main Authors: Ueyama, Takashi, Hano, Takuzo, Kasamatsu, Ken, Yamamoto, Katsuhiro, Tsuruo, Yoshihiro, Nishio, Ichiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-12-2003
• Subjects: Animals; Cardiomyopathies - complications; Cardiomyopathies - drug therapy; Contrast Media; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Implants; Electrocardiography; Estradiol - administration & dosage; Estradiol - blood; Estradiol - therapeutic use; Estrogens - physiology; Female; Heart Rate - drug effects; Heart Rate - physiology; Immobilization - adverse effects; Immobilization - physiology; Injections, Subcutaneous; Myocardial Contraction - drug effects; Myocardial Contraction - physiology; Ovariectomy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Stress, Psychological - complications; Stress, Psychological - drug therapy; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - complications; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0160-2446; 1533-4023
• DOI: 10.1097/00005344-200312001-00024

Reduction of estrogen levels may underlie the high incidence of ʼTako-tsubo (Ampulla) cardiomyopathy in postmenopausal females. Ovariectomized (OVX) and estradiol-supplemented ovariectomized female rats (OVX + E) were subjected to immobilization stress, an animal model of Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy. In order to evaluate cardiac changes, left ventriculography and electrocardiography were performed under anesthesia (control). Next day, the conscious rats were exposed to immobilization stress, and left ventriculography was performed (stress). In OVX rats, percentage contraction in left ventriculography was significantly reduced in response to stress, while it was not significantly changed in OVX + E rats. In both groups, heart rate was significantly increased in response to stress. However, heart rate in stress was significantly higher in OVX than in OVX + E rats. In summary, these data suggest that increase of serum estradiol levels can diminish the pathological changes in the heart induced by emotional stress.