Table 1.

Primer sequences and efficiency used for RT-PCR

Gene	Forward primer	Reverse primer	Slope	Amplification	Efficiency
α-MHC	CCAAACGAGTTCCGGCCT	TGCCCAAACCAAAGAGAATGA	−2.999	2.15	1.15
β-MHC	GAATGGCTTCTAGTCCCA	TCATCTTCTCACTAAGGGCT	−3.009	2.14	1.14
BNP	CAGAAGCTGCTGGAGCTGATAAG	TGTAGGGCCTTGGTCCTTTG	−3.33	1.99	0.995
CYP1B1	CAGAAGCTGGAGCTGATAAG	TGTAGGGCCTTGGTCCTTTG	−3.35	1.98	0.985
GST-A1	TTGATGTTCCAGCAAGTGCC	CACCAGCTTCATCCCATCAAT	−3.25	2.03	1.03
HO-1	ATGGCCTCCCTGTACCACATC	TGTTGCGCTCAATCTCCTCCT	−3.01	2.14	1.14
β-actin	CCAGATCATGTTTGAGACCTTCAA	GTGGTACGACCAGAGGCATACA	−3.00	2.15	1.15

The Ct slope method was used to measure the efficiency of the RT-PCR. This method involves generating a dilution series of the target template and determining the Ct value for each dilution. A plot of Ct versus log cDNA concentration range (with four concentration points at 60, 6,0.6, and 0.06 ng/µl) was made. Exponential amplification was calculated using the equation A = 10^(−1/slope). Efficiency was calculated using the equation Ex = 10^(−1/slope) − 1