Fig. 7.

Schematic of signaling cascade of estrogen-dependent pathways in the absence of eNOS. When estrogen receptors (ERs) are activated, they, in turn, activate PI3 kinase (PI3K) to phosphorylate Akt, followed by activation of RXRγ to initiate CYP2C29 gene and protein expression, leading to the synthesis of EETs to cause vasodilation. Arrows indicate activation; flat arrows indicate inhibition. The upstream signaling effectors shown with a dotted line are based on our previous findings (6, 7). The question mark denotes an, as yet, unresolved mechanism.