Role of estrogen in angiogenesis in cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

The formation of new blood vessels from existing ones is a major process of angiogenesis and it is most effective in the vascular systems. The physiological process like hypoxia inducible factors involved in the regeneration of damaged tissues varies within the vascular systems in the endothelium and could be limited due to some major angiogenic growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor, fibroblast growth factors and epidermal growth factor among others which bring about this cellular vascular regrowth. These physiological processes leading to cellular vascular regrowth could be a major function for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as ischemia and atherosclerosis. Estrogens are one of the known factors within the cellular mechanisms that could initiate repairs to the damaged vascular tissues, since estrogens are known inducers of angiogenesis leading to this cellular regrowth. Research has also shown that this cellular regrowth is induced by vascular angiogenic growth factors via the estrogen receptors. In this review we will attempt to summarize the main angiogenic growth factors involved in these physiological processes leading to angiogenesis and possible new mechanisms that could lead to this vascular regrowth. And also we will try to summarize some reports on the effect of estrogen on these physiological processes leading to angiogenesis in cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Cardiovascular diseases; Estrogen; Estrogen receptors; Vascular endothelial growth factor.