Image by John Ryan
UCD researchers led by UCD Conway Fellow, Prof Therese Kinsella have shown that oestrogen can protect against cardiovascular disease by impacting the levels of a key protein called prostacyclin receptor. The findings are published in the Journal of Molecular Biology.
Cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of premature death in the Western world, typically develops 10 years later in women than in men. Scientists have long established that the female hormone oestrogen protects against the disease but the mechanism of action was unclear.
Prof Kinsella and Dr Elizebeth Turner have shown that the prostacyclin receptor is a prime target for oestrogen being regulated by the alpha, but not by the beta form of the oestrogen receptor protein. Prostacyclin receptor levels can prevent platelet aggregation, or blood clotting, and the narrowing of vessel walls. As such the protein can play a role in protecting the body from cardiovascular disease.
‘We found that prostacyclin receptor levels followed oestrogen levels. If oestrogen went down, so too did the amount of this prostacyclin receptor ', says Professor Kinsella. 'We now have a clear understanding of one of the ways that oestrogen may protect against heart disease. This is really significant in its own right, as it opens up new avenues of investigation for treatment of cardiovascular disease in women and it adds considerable information to the whole debate about the potential benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for post-menopausal women.'
The project was funded by the Health Research Board (HRB). Commenting on today’s publication of the findings, Enda Connolly CEO of the HRB, ‘Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in Ireland. Approximately 10,000 Irish people die each year from this disease, so a finding like this, which sheds new light into the very core of the disease, has tremendous potential to create new and more effective treatments for patients.'
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