Fig. 8: The regulatory actions of HEP14 on ovarian endocrine function in aged mice.

A Sub-heatmap of 20 DEGs enriched in the pathway of “regulation steroid hormone biosynthetic process” by GSEA, B mRNA expression levels of the key DEGs involved in the pathway indicated in RNA-seq analysis, and C Representative images and quantification of mitochondrial proteins Cyp1b1 by IHC staining of ovarian sections. The data presented in (A–C) are from the comparison of HEP14-treated aged ovaries with their counterparts. D Protein levels of Cyp1b1 in the HEP14-treatted senescent KGN cells with their controls by western blotting and densitometric analysis. E Serum levels of ovarian hormone E2, AMH, Inhibin A, Inhibin B and FSH by ELISA assays in the HEP14-treated aged mice in contrast to their counterparts. F Estrous cycles of HEP14-treated mice compared to those in the vehicle-treated controls. Data are means ± SEM, n = 4 biological replicates in (A, B) and (E, F), n  =  3 biological replicates in (C), n  =  3 in (D). P values calculated by one-way ANOVA, followed by Turkey in (B) and (D, E); P values determined by unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test in (C, F). Changes were considered statistically significant when P < 0.05. Scale Bar, 100 μm or 250 μm.