Figure 2.

Expression of enzymes detected in rat colons. Data were obtained by real time PCR in panels (a) cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc); (b) sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2); (c) 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA R); (d) low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL R); (e) steroid sulfatase (STS); (f) hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase (SULT2B1); (g,h) 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD); (i) 5α-reductase type II (5α-R II); (j) 5α-reductase type I (5α-R I); (k) 3α-hydroxysteroid-oxidoreductase (3α-HSOR), and by Western blot analysis in panel (l) aromatase. The columns represent the mean ± SEM after normalization with 36B4 rRNA in colon of adult rats. n = 6 animals for each experimental group. The unpaired Student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.