17beta-estradiol inhibits angiotensin II-induced cardiac myofibroblast differentiation

Cardiac fibroblasts play an important role in myocardial remodeling by proliferating, differentiating, and secreting extracellular matrix proteins. Estrogen has been reported to have a number of cardioprotective properties. However, it is unclear whether estrogen affects cardiac fibroblast differentiation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of estrogen on angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and differentiation. Cardiac fibroblasts were stimulated with angiotensin II (1 microM) in the presence or absence of 17beta-estradiol (100 nM). Pretreatment of cardiac fibroblasts with 17beta-estradiol significantly inhibited angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and differentiation (indicated by a reduction in alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) expression) by 25% and 20%. Pretreatment of 17beta-estradiol significantly reduced angiotensin II-increased levels of phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by 40% and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) binding activity in cardiac fibroblasts by 55%. Our data suggests estrogen could have an anti-fibrotic effect through limiting cardiac fibroblast proliferation and differentiation, which are the critical steps in the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis.