INTRODUCTION The role of ovarian hormones and nitric oxide in learning and memory has been widely investigated. OBJECTIVE The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, N (G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), on the ability of estradiol to improve learning in OVX rats using the Morris water maze. METHODS Forty rats were divided i...

In this study, we determined the effects of relaxin and estrogen deficiency and estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on the cardiac, renal, and pulmonary phenotypes of female relaxin gene knockout (Rln1-/-) and age-matched wild-type (Rln1+/+) mice. One-month-old Rln1+/+ and Rln1-/- mice were bilaterally ovariectomized or sham-operated and aged until 9 or 12 months. A subgroup of ovariectomized mi...

Reproductive functions decline with the onset of diabetes in female mice. Diabetic mice have smaller uteri with an underdeveloped endometrium, suggesting diminished estrogen-induced growth. We aimed to clarify the changes in the estrous cycle and in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) expression in the uteri of streptozotocin (STZ)-treated diabetic mice, because IGF1 is one of the main growth f...

This study aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of a traditional Chinese medicine named Gengnianchun (GNC) in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were randomly categorized into sham-operated group (Sham), saline-treated ovariectomized group (OVX), GNC-treated ovariectomized group (OVX+GNC), estradiol valerate-treated ovariectomized group (OVX+E). GNC and estradiol was administered ...

There is increasing interest in the discovery of natural compounds that could favorably affect the skeletal system. Curcumin is a constituent of turmeric, a plant which has been used for centuries as a dietary spice and a traditional Indian medicine. Curcumin has been reported to affect differentiation, activity and the lifespan of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro. The aim of the present st...

Red wine polyphenols (RWPs) have been reported to prevent hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. Several individual RWPs exert estrogenic effects. We analyzed the possible in vivo protective effects on blood pressure and endothelial function of RWPs in female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and its relationship with ovarian function. RWPs (40 mg/kg by gavage) were orally administered f...

One hundred twenty-six adult female baboons (Papio cynocephalus) were hysterectomized and all except 18 were ovariectomized. The animals were fed a moderately atherogenic diet (40% calories form hydrogenated vegetable oil, 1.5 gm cholesterol/kcal) for two years. Ovariectomized-hysterectomized animals received estrone sulfate, ethynyl estradiol, or diethylstilbestrol orally in daily doses simila...

Clinical observations suggest that postmenopausal women have a higher incidence of aneurysmal rupture than premenopausal women. We hypothesize that a relative deficiency in estrogen may increase the risks of aneurysmal growth and subarachnoid hemorrhage in postmenopausal women. We assessed the effects of estrogen and selective estrogen receptor subtype agonists on the development of aneurysmal ...

To determine the associations between isoflavone (49.72% genistin, 5.32% daidzin, 34.54% glycitin) and breast cancer risk, 150 rats were given 5 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and half of them were ovariectomized. Then normal rats and ovariectomized rats were divided into 5 groups: control group, isoflavone high (HI), middle (MI), or low (LI) dose group consuming 100, 500, or 1000 mg isoflav...

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects more females than males after puberty, and its symptoms and severity in women change during menstruation and menopause. Recently, evidence has demonstrated that interactions among the microbiota, female sex hormones, and immunity are associated with the development of autoimmune diseases. However, no studies have investigated if therapeutic ...