Fig. 2.

Effect of long-term absence of estrogen on Ca²⁺ handling. A: representative traces comparing Ca²⁺ transients between sham-operated (Sham), ovariectomized (OVx), and OVx + 17β-estradiol (OVx + E) Fluo-4-loaded myocytes. B: myocytes from OVx animals elicited a larger Ca²⁺ transient compared with Sham and OVx + E animals. Sham: n = 44/4, OVx: n = 55/4, and OVx + E: n = 40/3. **P < 0.01. C: experimental protocol used to measure fractional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ release in myocytes (see methods). D: fractional SR Ca²⁺ release was larger in OVx myocytes compared with Sham myocytes. Sham: n = 34/3, OVx: n = 48/4, and OVx + E: n = 40/3. **P < 0.01.