FIG. 7.

Scores plot for the PCA of NMR spectra of blood plasma. PC1 and PC2 account together for 59.5% of the total variance of the metabolic profiles of all samples. Each point in the plot represents the global metabolic profile of one sample. Proximity in the PCA scores plot bidimensional space represents similarity in the global metabolic profile. A gray ellipse has been drawn enclosing the control group for better evaluation of reverting effects of estradiol replacement. The group OVX early ERT (gray triangles, enclosed in dashed line ellipse) shows the best overlapping with the control group. Groups OVX late ERT (OVX 3+3E, gray squares, and OVX 6+3E, gray diamonds) remain closer to their corresponding non-ERT groups (OVX 6, white squares, and OVX 9, white diamonds). ERT, estrogen replacement therapy; PCA, principal components analysis.