Fig. 3

Changes in plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) levels in female goldfish and effects of exogenous E2 on expression of osteoclastic gene in the scales of female goldfish. (A) Plasma E2 levels of female goldfish were measured from March 2016 to June 2016 (each month, n = 3-6). Different letters indicate significant differences (P < 0.05). (B) mRNA expression of cathepsin K (cathK) in the scales of goldfish without (CNT) and with injection of E2 (E2). The female goldfish were injected intraperitoneally with 4 μg/g body weight of exogenous E2 in October 2016. *P < 0.05 indicates a significant difference vs. control.