Figure 4.

Myocardial chymase, ACE, and ACE2 activities in SHR and WKY rats. Data indicate differences in (a) Chymase, (b) ACE, and (c) ACE2 enzymatic activities with respect to strain and estrogen status (intact versus OVX). Values are reported as means ± SEM; SHR, n = 5–6/group. WKY rats, n = 4–5/group. Black bars represent gonadal-intact rats; open bars represent OVX rats. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance for strain and estrogen status (intact versus OVX). Main effects for estrogen status consist of: chymase activity F(1,15) = 15.41, p = 0.0013; ACE activity (F(1,16) = 4.204, p = 0.057; ACE2 activity (F(1,17) = 9.100, p = 0.0078. *p < 0.05 indicates significance between strains for ACE2 activity. Post-hoc analysis using Tukey’s multiple comparisons indicate significant difference within-strain for estrogen status ^#p < 0.05.

ACE: angiotensin converting enzyme; OVX: ovariectomy; RAS: renin–angiotensin system; SEM: standard error of the mean; SHR: spontaneously hypertensive rat; WKY: Wistar-Kyoto rat.