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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Ovariectomy and 17β-estradiol Replacement in Rats and Mice: A Visual Demonstration
Published on: June 7, 2012
17β-Estradiol treatment reversed left ventricular dysfunction in castrated male rats: an echocardiographic study
Tomas Baka1, Julius Hodosy2, Kristina Krajcirovicova1
1a Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
Abstract:
No data are available on heart function in chronic testosterone deficiency and on the effect of estrogen treatment. Eighteen 4-week-old male Lewis rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 6): 1 group of sham-operated rats and 2 groups of castrated rats. Sixty-six weeks after surgery, 1 castrated group received a dose of 17β-estradiol (10 μg/kg per day) and the remaining 2 groups received a placebo subcutaneously for 14 days. Left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions were measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Castration decreased LV ejection fraction (9%) and fractional shortening (15%) and deteriorated LV diastolic function (94%). 17β-Estradiol treatment increased LV ejection fraction (15%) and fractional shortening (31%) and improved LV diastolic function (48%). Plasma testosterone concentrations were decreased in both castrated groups. In conclusion, chronic testosterone deficiency induced LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction; these disorders were reversed by short-term treatment with 17β-estradiol.
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