Calcium management alterations in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Elecrophysiological and contractile dysfunction during menopause.

CRIADO SANTIAGO; DIAZ ZEGARRA LEANDRO; VELEZ RUEDA JORGE OMAR; PAGOLA LUCIA ELENA; LOFEUDO JUAN MANUEL; MARTINEZ VALERIA; DE GIUSTI VERÓNICA

Mendoza

Encuentro; 2023 Meeting of the ISHR-LAT Section; 2023

International Sciety for Heart Reserch

Estrogens exert several benefits effects among cardiovascular (CV) system. During menopause, with the decay in such hormones, women's cardiovascular (CV) risk equals or even exceeds that of men of the same age. Although heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is the most recognized alteration in this stage, the electrophysiological and contractile alterations that may result in the generation of arrhythmogenic events, in many cases fatal, are also frequent during menopause. Therefore, its investigation and understanding are fundamental to prevent CV diseases during menopause. We have demonstrated that spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) post ovariectomy exhibit higher oxidative stress, higher blood pressure levels, and greater cardiac fibrosis; due in part to the hyperactivity of the renin-angiotensin system. In this case, the aim of this study is to investigate the delicate control of intracellular Ca2+ management during menopause. We decide to use the same menopause model (3-month SHR rats + 2 months oophorectomy; SHR-OVX) and its Sham controls. Ventricular myocytes were isolated and they were used to measured: cell shortening at 0.5 and 3Hz; generation of Ca2+ sparks and waves by confocal microscopy (loaded with FLUO-3 indicator) and Ca2+ current (ICaL) using the patch-clamp technique. * p