(Hypertension. 2000;35:795.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Scientific Contributions |
Effects of Menstrual Cycle and Race on Peripheral Vascular 
-Adrenergic Responsiveness
From the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology (R.R.F.) and Internal Medicine (Pulmonary) (R.G.), Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Mich. Correspondence to Robert R. Freedman, PhD, CS Mott Center, 275 E Hancock, Detroit, MI 48201.
Abstract—Gender differences in
the incidence of many cardiovascular diseases may be
due to the effects of sex hormones. Both 
1- and
2-adrenergic receptors produce vasoconstriction in
peripheral blood vessels and have demonstrated gender
effects in previous studies. In addition, race has been shown to
influence the effects of some -adrenergic stimuli. We therefore
sought to determine the effects of the menstrual cycle and race on
peripheral blood flow responses to the
intra-arterial infusion of phenylephrine
(1-agonist) and clonidine (2-agonist).
Ten white and 8 black women were studied during the early luteal phase
and the follicular phase; these phases were verified in each woman
through measurements of plasma estradiol and progesterone. Plasma
norepinephrine was measured with HPLC. During
phenylephrine infusion, there was significantly greater
vasoconstriction in the luteal phase versus the follicular phase
(P<0.05). There were no differences
(P>0.8) between white and black women. During clonidine
infusion, white women showed significantly more vasoconstriction in the
follicular phase than during the luteal phase
(P<0.006). For black women, the responses for both
phases did not differ (P>0.9). Blood pressures were
significantly higher in the black women (diastolic
P<0.005, systolic P<0.05). The
luteal-phase elevation of 1-adrenergic responses may be
due to elevated levels of estradiol, progesterone, or both. The lack of
luteal-phase reduction in 2-adrenergic vasoconstriction
in black women may contribute to their increased pressor responses to
adrenergic stimuli.
Key Words: receptors, adrenergic, alpha • gender • race • blacks • estrogen • norepinephrine • blood flow
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