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Yes! Sex Matters: Sex, the Brain and Blood Pressure

  • Hypertension and the Brain (S Stocker, Section Editor)
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Abstract

The role of the brain in hypertension between the sexes is known to be important especially with regards to the effects of circulating sex hormones. A number of different brain regions important for regulation of sympathetic outflow and blood pressure express estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ). Estradiol, acting predominantly via the ERα, inhibits angiotensin II activation of the area postrema and subfornical organ neurons and inhibits reactive oxygen generation that is required for the development of Angiotensin II-induced neurogenic hypertension. Estradiol activation of ERβ within the paraventricular nucleus and the rostral ventral lateral medulla inhibits these neurons and inhibits angiotensin II, or aldosterone induced increases in sympathetic outflow and hypertension. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ERα and ERβ actions within key brain regions regulating blood pressure will be essential for the development of “next generation” selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS) that can be used clinically for the treatment of neurogenic hypertension.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, 1501 N Campbell Rd Bldg 201, Rm 4103, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA

    Meredith Hay

  2. Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Meredith Hay

  3. Saver Heart Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Meredith Hay

  4. Department of Psychology, Seashore Hall, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Baojian Xue & Alan Kim Johnson

  5. Department of Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Alan Kim Johnson

  6. Cardiovascular Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Alan Kim Johnson

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  1. Meredith Hay
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  2. Baojian Xue
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  3. Alan Kim Johnson
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Correspondence to Meredith Hay.

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Conflict of Interest Meredith Hay has received a National Institutes of Health RO1 grant HL-98207.

Baojian Xue and Alan Kim Johnson have received National Institutes of Health grants HL-14388, HL-98207, and MH-80241.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent This article does not contain any human studies performed by the authors. All animal studies performed by the authors were approved by institutional IACUC.

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Hay, M., Xue, B. & Johnson, A.K. Yes! Sex Matters: Sex, the Brain and Blood Pressure. Curr Hypertens Rep 16, 458 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-014-0458-4

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