Basal release of nitric oxide from aortic rings is greater in female rabbits than in male rabbits: implications for atherosclerosis.

Estradiol is known to exert a protective effect against the development of atherosclerosis, but the mechanism of this hormonal action is unknown. One of the early events in the development of atherosclerosis is the adhesion of macrophages to endothelial cells, and nitric oxide (NO) inhibits this pro... View More