Effect of estrogen therapy on vascular perlecan and metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in castrated rats

ABSTRACTAim To study the effects of estrogen therapy on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and perlecan in the vascular wall.Methods Twenty 180-day-old Wistar rats were castrated and treated 1 week later for a period of 4 weeks with one of the following: (1) placebo; (2) 0.5 μg/day estradiol benzoate (E2B); (3) 5 μg/day E2B; (4) 50 μg/day E2B. A fifth group consisted of rats that had not been castrated. Following treatment, expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA (MMP-2[RNA] and MMP-9[RNA], respectively) was analyzed by real-time PCR, and expression of MMP-2 (MMP-2[IH]), MMP-9 (MMP-9[IH]) and perlecan was quantified by immunohistochemistry, in carotid walls.Results There were no differences among castrated groups for MMP-2[RNA] (p = 0.1969) and for MMP-9[RNA] (p = 0.1828); however, a correlation was observed between E2B dose and MMP-9[RNA] levels (r = 0.471, p = 0.018). Differences among groups were observed for MMP-2[IH], MMP-9[IH] and perlecan (p < 0.0001), wherein higher l...