The role of cyclooxygenase-2 on endurance exercise training in female LDL-receptor knockout ovariectomized mice (original) (raw)

2013, Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências

Estrogen deprivation in postmenopausal women increases cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular risk as a result of atherosclerosis is able to induce an inflammatory disease as far as cyclooxygenase-2 (COx-2) expression. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of COx-2 on exercise training in female mice low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LdL-KO) with or without ovariectomy. A total of 15 female C57BL/6 mice and 15 female LdL-KO mice were distributed into 6 groups: sedentary control, sedentary control ovariectomized, trained control ovariectomized, LdL-KO sedentary, LdL-KO sedentary ovariectomized and LdL-KO trained ovariectomized. The ascending part of the aorta was stained with h&E and COx-2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results revealed that ovariectomy as well as exercise training were not able to induce histopathological changes in mouse aorta for all groups investigated. LdL-KO mice demonstrated plaque containing cholesterol clefts, foamy histiocytes and mild inflammatory process for all groups indistinctly. Ovariectomy induced a strong immunoexpression in atherosclerosis lesion of LdL-KO mice. Nevertheless, a down-regulation of COx-2 expression was detected in LdL-KO trained ovariectomized when compared to LdL-KO sedentary. Our results are consistent with the notion that exercise training is able to modulate COx-2 expression in LdL-KO mice as a result of COx-2 down-regulation.