Estradiol Improves Hypertensive Myocardial Fibrosis and Diastolic Dysfunction in Ovariectomized Rats by Attenuating Inflammatory Changes

Background: The prevalence of diastolic dysfunction is high in hypertensive post-menopausal women. We have shown that in male Wistar rats with a supra-renal aortic constriction (AC), pressure overload induces a transient perivascular inflammation, which leads to reactive myocardial fibrosis and the resultant diastolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine the role of estradiol (E2) in the pressure overload-induced myocardial fibrosis and the resultant diastolic dysfunction.