We showed that ALA treatment significantly reduced the atherosclerosis induced by ovariectomy and high fat diet in the Ldlr-/- mouse model and restored expression of estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), which reduced the progression of atherosclerosis.
Immune function, inflammation, and atherosclerosis display sex differences and are influenced by 17β-estradiol through estrogen receptors subtypes ERα and ERβ.
Known epigenetic changes contributing to CVD include hypomethylation in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis, changes in estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) and ER-β methylation in vascular disease, decreased superoxide dismutase 2 expression in pulmonary hypertension (PH), as well as trimethylation of histones H3K4 and H3K9 in congestive heart failure.
We recently identified heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) as an estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta)-associated protein and noted its role as a biomarker for atherosclerosis.
NO synthesis increases, and MDA production decreases through ERβ-mediated pathway that suppresses apoptosis and NF-κB activity in endothelial cells that downregulates adhesion molecules expression on endothelial cells via ERβ/NO/NF-κB pathway, and in turn leukocyte adhesion, which suggests BSNXD potential value in prophylaxis atherosclerosis.