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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Aug 29.
Published in final edited form as: Neuroscience. 2013 Apr 22;246:409–421. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.04.027

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Effects of chronic CORT treatment and cholesterol and 17β-estradiol administration on 17β-estradiol serum levels. A) Female rats implanted with 17β-estradiol implants and given tap water (Tap-E) displayed significantly elevated 17β-estradiol serum levels compared to all other groups, except females treated with 17β-estradiol and CORT water (CORT-E). Females treated with 17β-estradiol and CORT water showed significantly higher 17β-estradiol serum levels than did CORT-treated females implanted with blank or cholesterol capsules. Males exposed to CORT and implanted with 17β-estradiol implants demonstrated significantly elevated serum levels of 17β-estradiol compared to males implanted with blank implants and given tap water (Tap-X), and females given CORT drink treatment and implanted with blank- and cholesterol-filled Silastic implants (CORT-X and CORT-Chol). B) Contents of implants significantly affected serum 17β-estradiol levels. Females implanted with 17β-estradiol-filled Silastic implants displayed higher serum levels of 17β-estradiol compared to female and male rats implanted with blank- and cholesterol-filled Silastic implants (X and Chol). Moreover, male rats implanted with 17β-estradiol showed significantly higher 17β-estradiol serum levels than did males with blank- and cholesterol-filled Silastic implants. ‡‡‡ p<0.001 compared to all other groups except females given CORT drink and implanted with 17β-estradiol implants. ++ p < 0.02 compare females to males. * p < 0.05 compared to females given CORT drink and blank (females CORT-X) or Cholesterol implants (females CORT-Chol) § p < 0.05 compared to males given tap water and blank Silastic implants (males Tap-X). † p < 0.01 compared to females and males implanted with blank- or cholesterol-filled Silastic implants and males implanted with 17β-estradiol Silastic implants. ¥ p < 0.05 compared to males implanted with blank Silastic implants. Tap water treatment and blank Silastic implants (Tap-X), tap water treatment and cholesterol-filled implants (Tap-Chol), tap water treatment and 17β-estradiol-filled implants (Tap-E), CORT drink treatment and blank implants (CORT-X), CORT drink treatment and cholesterol-filled implants (CORT-Chol), CORT drink treatment and 17β-estradiol-filled implants (CORT-E).