FIGURE 2.

Echocardiographic outcomes. Effect of selected doses of α-MSH on ejection fraction (A) and fractional shortening (B). Echocardiographic examination was performed after ketamine–xylazine anesthesia. After recording baseline parameters (control), different doses of α-MSH (10, 100, 250 μg/kg, respectively) were injected intravenously through catheter, and cardiac parameters were estimated and recorded again. Results are shown as average values from each group of rats ± SEM of [%, (A)] and of [%, (B)]. *P < 0.05 compared with control.