Fig 1: Summary of pathways involved in ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat diet (the OF group): the role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Obesity, characterized by an increase in adipocytes, leads to a high level of inflammatory cytokines, which, together with the effects of estradiol reduction contribute to the elevation of blood pressure in these animals. Such events initiate the stimulus for cardiac remodeling, characterized by cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and increased brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) production. Obesity may still represent a risk factor for cardiac remodeling because it stimulates the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) and inflammatory factors such as TGF-ß. These factors, associated with the reduction of the biological activity of BNP (lower expression of NPR-A) may intensify cardiac hypertrophy and reduce the anti-hypertrophic activity of BNP.
Fig 2: Expression of estrogen receptor genes are associated with cardiac hypertrophy and expression of BNP in ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat diet (the OF group). Gene expression in rat ventricle showing the mRNA detection of BNP, NPR-A, Era, and ERß. The mRNA determination was made by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the whole hearts (n=4 for each group) from sham-operated rats fed control diet (SC); ovariectomized rats fed control diet (OC); sham-operated rats fed a high-fat diet (SF); and ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat diet (OF). mRNA values have been normalized with mRNA ß-actin values. A–D are the ratio of BNP, NPR-A, ERa and ERß expressed in arbitrary units respectively. (E) Representative ethidium bromide visualization of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. N=4 each group. The results were analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s test. * p <0.05 vs. SC group; # p<0.05 vs. SC, OC and SF; O p<0.05 vs. SC and SF; (n=4, for each group).
Fig 3: Expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) correlates with plasma estradiol levels in the ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat diet (the OF group), and with transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß levels. Plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), which is also known as B-type natriuretic peptide, estradiol and TGF-ß represented in A, B and D, respectively were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using plasma samples (n=12 for each group) from sham-operated rats fed control diet (SC); ovariectomized rats fed control diet (OC); sham-operated rats fed a high-fat diet (SF); and ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat diet (OF). C represents the correlation between BNP and estradiol in ovariectomized rats (n=12) fed a control diet (OC) or a high-fat diet (OF) for six months. The results were analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s test, and correlations were analyzed by Pearson’s coefficient. # p<0.05 vs. SC, OC and SF; O p<0.05 vs. SC and SF.
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