Figure 2

A, Relaxant effect of acetylcholine (ACh) in aortic rings (contracted with phenylephrine [PE], 100 nm) from sham OVX and OVX rats treated daily with α-zearalenol (ZE; 1 mg/kg, im, in 100 μl of cottonseed oil), ZE plus ICI 182780 (2.5 mg/kg, im, in 100 μl of cottonseed oil), or vehicle (100 μl, im, of cottonseed oil). Each point represents the mean ± sem of six experiments. ^* p < 0.001 versus sham OVX and OVX + ZE; ♯ p < 0.005 versus OVX + vehicle. B, Relaxant effect of ACh in aortic rings (contracted with PE 100 nm) from sham OVX and OVX rats treated daily with 17β-estradiol (E; 20 μg/kg, im, in 100 μl cottonseed oil), E plus ICI 182780 (2.5 mg/kg, im, in 100 μl of cottonseed oil), or vehicle (100 μl, im, of cottonseed oil). Each point represents the mean ± sem of six experiments. ^* p < 0.001 versus sham OVX and OVX + ZE; ♯ p < 0.005 versus OVX + vehicle.