Pharmacologic blockade and genetic deletion of androgen receptor attenuates aortic aneurysm formation

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) carry a significant mortality and morbidity. Currently, a medical cure is not available for AAAs. This work presents a potential target for medical treatment of AAAs: the androgen receptor (AR). Pharmacologic agents approved for prostate cancer reveal attenuation of experimental aneurysm formation and decreased proinflammatory cytokine profile in aortic tissues. Furthermore, genetic deletion of AR reveals similar results. Therefore, AR appears to play a critical role in aneurysm formation, and pharmacologic agents currently used for prostate cancer treatment may play a role in inhibition of aneurysm progression and prolong time to definitive repair.