ABSTRACT
This chapter describes evidence that, among cholesterol-fed cynomolgus monkeys, normal ovarian function is associated with an inhibitory influence on the progression of coronary artery atherosclerosis and explains, at least in part, the gender difference in extent of coronary artery atherosclerosis observed in nonhuman primate model. Concerning the relationship between ovarian dysfunction and heightened heart rate reactivity, there is some evidence that the loss of ovarian function in post-menopausal women is accompanied by a greater cardiovascular responsivity to behavioral stimuli, relative to age-matched premenopausal controls. Coronary artery atherosclerosis was determined as intimal or plaque area as quantitated microscopically from perfusion-fixed arteries. As in the first study of females, dominant females had less extensive coronary artery atherosclerosis than did their subordinate counterparts. The strongest effect was among the dominant ovariectomized females; they completely lost the protection observed in their intact counterparts and were as severely affected as the subordinate ovariectomized females.
