Obligatory role for GPER in cardiovascular aging and disease

Pharmacological activation of the heptahelical G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) by selective ligands counteracts multiple aspects of cardiovascular disease. We thus expected that genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of GPER would further aggravate such disease states, particularly with age. To the contrary, we found that genetic ablation of Gper in mice prevented cardiovascular pathologies associated with aging by reducing superoxide (center dot O-2(-)) formation by NADPH oxidase (Nox) specifically through reducing the expression of the Nox isoform Nox1. Blocking GPER activity pharmacologically with G36, a synthetic, small-molecule, GPER-selective blocker (GRB), decreased Nox1 abundance and center dot O-2(-) production to basal amounts in cells exposed to angiotensin II and in mice chronically infused with angiotensin II, reducing arterial hypertension. Thus, this study revealed a role for GPER activity in regulating Nox1 abundance and associated center dot O-2(-)-mediated structural and functional damage that contributes to disease pathology. Our results indicated that GRBs represent a new class of drugs that can reduce Nox abundance and activity and could be used for the treatment of chronic disease processes involving excessive center dot O-2(-)-formation, including arterial hypertension and heart failure.