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Updated: Mar 27, 2026
An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
Published on: August 13, 2019
Low testosterone levels are associated with endothelial dysfunction in oophorectomized early postmenopausal women
Ciciliana Maíla Zilio Rech1, Ruth Clapauch2, Maria das Graças Coelho de Souza3
1Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Research on Vascular Biology (BIOVASC)Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, São Francisco Xavier Street, 524. Pavilhão Haroldo Lisboa, BIOVASC, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilHospital da LagoaJardim Botânico Street, 501, Endocrinology Sector, Health Ministry, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil cicilianazr@gmail.com.
Background:
The actual consequences of low testosterone levels in women remain uncertain.
Objective:
To assess endogenous testosterone influence on body composition, vascular and metabolic function in recent postmenopausal women.
Design:
We studied 81 postmenopausal women under transdermal estradiol (E2) replacement therapy, 36 with bilateral oophorectomy (group O), and 45 controls (group C) through venous occlusion plethysmography, bioimpedance, DEXA, biochemical, hormonal, and inflammatory profile.
Results:
Total testosterone level (TT) in group O was 11.0 (4.0-17.75) vs 23.0 (10.0-42.5) ng/dl in group C (P=0.001). Forearm blood flow, in ml/min/100 ml tissue, was lower in group O compared to group C at baseline (1.57 (1.05-2.47) vs 2.19 (1.59-2.66) P=0.036), following reactive hyperemia response (endothelium-dependent flow mediated dilatation, 3.44 (2.38-4.35) vs 4.3 (3.09-5.52), P=0.031) and following nitroglycerin (endothelium-independent dilation, 1.39 (0.99-1.7) vs 1.76 (1.15-2.0), P=0.025), with a positive correlation between TT and all parameters except for the reactive hyperemia response (r=0.233-0.312, P=0.036-0.004). The sVCAM1 levels were negatively correlated with TT (r=-0.320, P=0.005). E2 and other hormone levels, biochemical parameters and body composition did not differ between groups. Multiple linear regressions showed that the levels of TT, compared with other confounding variables, may explain the variation observed on endothelial parameters, with low explanatory power.
Conclusion:
The absence of ovarian testosterone production in recent postmenopausal oophorectomized women was associated with deleterious effects on endothelial function.
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