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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
Sex steroids and endothelial function: translating basic science to clinical practice
Virginia M Miller1, Sharon L Mulvagh
1Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. miller.virginia@mayo.edu
Abstract:
Intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine causes classical endothelium-dependent vasodilatation that is mediated by endothelium-derived relaxing factor(s), the most prominent of which is nitric oxide. The absence of this vasodilatation, or endothelial 'dysfunction', correlates with the earliest stages of atherosclerosis and might be used to identify individuals who could benefit from aggressive intervention strategies and to assess treatment efficacy. Sex steroid hormones (estrogen and testosterone) increase the production and release of endothelium-derived nitric oxide both in men and in women. Therefore, endogenous hormonal status could present a confounding factor in the assessment of endothelial function.
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