Do androgens modulate male-derived endothelial cell homeostasis using androgen receptor-dependent and receptor-independent mechanisms?
(1) Heterogeneous expression of AR in male- and female-derived HUVEC could define the presence of functionally different subpopulations of ECs that may be affected differentially by androgens, which could explain, at least in part, the pleiotropic effects of androgen on vascular biology, and (2) DHT, and metabolites of DHT, generally thought to represent progressively more hydrophilic products along the path to elimination, may have differential roles in modulating the biology of human ECs through AR-dependent and AR-independent mechanisms, respectively.
When taught by paired basic science and clinical PBL facilitators, students in Year 1 rated basic science and clinical PBL faculty equally, while Year 2 students rated clinicians more highly overall. The Year 2 difference may be explained by perceived differences in content expertise.