Cardioprotective Effect of Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator Raloxifene Are Mediated by Heme Oxygenase in Estrogen-Deficient Rat

Figure 3

Heme oxygenase-1 and heme oxygenase-2 expression in the aorta. HO-1 (a) and HO-2 (b) expression (expressed as %) in the aortic tissues of ovary-intact (black bar), ovariectomized (OVX (white bar)), and estrogen-treated (E₂: (gray bar); 0.10 mg/kg/day, 2 weeks orally), or RAL-treated (RAL 0.33 (red bar): 0.33 mg/kg/day RAL 1 (blue bar); 1.0 mg/kg/day, 2 weeks, orally) OVX rats. The diagrams demonstrate the densitometric assessment (means ± S.E.M. expressed as %; 100% is the maximal expression). Data are expressed as means ± S.E.M. of the results on a minimum of 10 rats per group. Statistical significance: (A) as compared with the ovary-intact group. (B) as compared with the OVX group without treatment.

(a)

(b)