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Horm Metab Res 2004; 36(4): 197-202
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-814445
Original Basic
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Testosterone Regulates mRNA Levels of Calcium Regulatory Proteins in Cardiac Myocytes

K.  L.  Golden1 , J.  D.  Marsh1 , Y.  Jiang1
  • 1Department of Physiology, and Internal Medicine, Wayne State University and John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Detroit, MI, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received 27 February 2003

Accepted after second Revision 20 November 2003

Publication Date:
28 April 2004 (online)

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Abstract

Gender-related differences in cardiac function have been described in the literature, but whether the presence of sex hormones is responsible for these differences remains unclear. This study was designed to determine whether testosterone regulates the gene expression of calcium regulatory proteins in rat heart, thus playing a role in gender-related differences in cardiac performance. Ventricular myocytes were isolated from two-day-old rats and treated with testosterone at varying duration; the levels of gene expression for the androgen receptor (AR) and major calcium regulatory proteins were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Testosterone (1 µM) treatment induced a maximum increase in β1-adrenergic receptor and L-type calcium channel mRNA levels following an eight hour exposure. Six hours testosterone treatment stimulated a 300-fold increase in androgen receptor message abundance, and Na/Ca exchanger mRNA levels reached a maximum level following twenty-four hour testosterone treatment. Taken together, these data provide the first evidence that testosterone regulates gene expression of the major calcium regulatory proteins in isolated ventricular myocytes, and may thus play a role in the gender-related differences observed in cardiac performance.

Key words

Testosterone - Calcium channel - Androgen receptor - Na/Ca exchanger - β1-adrenergic receptor

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K. L. Golden, Ph. D.

Wayne State University School of Medicine

421 E. Canfield Ave. · Detroit · MI 48201

Phone: +1(313)576-4480

Fax: +1(313)577-1112

Email: kgolden@med.wayne.edu

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