Differential Effects of Estrogen and Progesterone on AT₁Receptor Gene Expression in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract

Because AT(1) receptor regulation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and atherosclerosis, the differential effects of estrogen and progesterone on the expression of this gene may in part explain the potentially counteracting effects of these reproductive hormones on the incidence of postmenopausal cardiovascular diseases.