Table 3.

RAS, neurohormonal, and calcium regulatory-related genes and AT₁R and Mas proteins.

	SHR mean ± SEM	WKY mean ± SEM	Strain p-value	E2 p-value	Strain × E2 p-value
Genes
Chymase mRNA			0.0002	0.0001	0.0011
Intact	0.47 ± 0.06	0.58 ± 0.16
OVX	0.72 ± 0.10	1.78 ± 0.13*
ACE mRNA			0.05	0.024	0.613
Intact	0.82 ± 0.16	0.42 ± 0.05
OVX	1.12 ± 0.19	0.88 ± 0.08
ACE2 mRNA			0.51	0.57	0.48
Intact	0.5 ± 0.08	0.49 ± 0.22
OVX	0.47 ± 0.12	0.72 ± 0.32
Angiotensinogen mRNA			0.104	0.012	0.896
Intact	0.71 ± 0.17	0.42 ± 0.05
OVX	1.12 ± 0.19	0.88 ± 0.08
AT1R mRNA			0.031	0.331	0.273
Intact	1.34 ± 0.10	1.56 ± 0.23
OVX	1.32 ± 0.10	1.94 ± 0.29
Mas mRNA			0.0001	0.0001	0.0007
Intact	1.05 ± 0.08	1.73 ± 0.32
OVX	1.28 ± 0.12	3.98 ± 0.46*
ANF mRNA			0.513	0.573	0.484
Intact	0.50 ± 0.08	0.49 ± 0.22
OVX	0.47 ± 0.12	0.72 ± 0.32
BNP mRNA			0.22	0.015	0.21
Intact	0.63 ± 0.15	0.32 ± 0.10
OVX	0.79 ± 0.12	0.80 ± 0.06
NOX2 mRNA			0.037	0.006	0.047
Intact	0.91 ± 0.03	0.92 ± 0.08
OVX	0.98 ± 0.07	1.30 ± 0.13†
SERCA2 mRNA			0.0001	0.973	0.63
Intact	1.65 ± 0.11	0.85 ± 0.19
OVX	1.59 ± 0.13	0.93 ± 0.09
PLB mRNA			0.0001	0.006	0.638
Intact	1.21 ± 0.14	0.36 ± 0.06
OVX	1.65 ± 0.14	0.69 ± 0.08
PLB/SERCA2 mRNA	0.74 ± 0.08	0.47 ± 0.05	0.0004	0.0002	0.881
Intact OVX	1.40 ± 0.04‡	0.75 ± 0.06†
Proteins
AT1R			0.0001	0.0002	0.0814
Intact	3.12 ± 0.28	1.84 ± 0.11
OVX	1.95 ± 0.08§	1.34 ± 0.07
Mas			0.0005	0.006	0.053
Intact	2.43 ± 0.16	1.65 ± 0.05
OVX	1.79 ± 0.12∥	1.52 ± 0.08

Cardiac gene transcripts and protein expression were measured in SHR and WKY hearts 10 weeks after OVX or sham procedures (gonads intact). The groups consisted of intact-SHR (n = 6), OVX-SHR (n = 5), intact-WKY (n = 5), OVX-WKY (n = 4). Using a two-way ANOVA, significant differences in cardiac gene and protein expression, with respect to strain, estrogen (E2) status (intact versus OVX), and strain x E2 status, were determined. The p-values are presented on the right of the table. For convenience, significant differences are indicated in bold. Post-hoc analysis using Tukey’s multiple comparisons indicate significant differences within-strain for estrogen status.

^*p < 0.0001 OVX-WKY versus intact-WKY;

^†p < 0.05 OVX-WKY versus intact-WKY;

^‡p < 0.01 OVX-SHRs versus intact-SHR;

^§p < 0.001 OVX-SHRs versus intact-SHRs;

^∥p < 0.01 OVX-SHRs versus intact-SHRs.

ACE: angiotensin converting enzyme; ACE2: angiotensin converting enzyme 2; AT₁R: angiotensin receptor 1; ANF: atrial natriuretic factor; BNP: brain natriuretic peptide; NOX2: NADPH oxidase 2; OVX: ovariectomy; PLB: unphosphorylated phospholamban; RAS: renin–angiotensin system; SEM: standard error of the mean; SERCA2: sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic calcium ATPase 2; SHR: spontaneously hypertensive rats; WKY: Wistar-Kyoto rats.