Role of glucocorticoid receptor in the inhibitory effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate on the estrogen-induced endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells  Akira Oishi, M.D., Ph.D., Kazuhiro Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D., Masahide Ohmichi, M.D., Ph.D., Yoshiko Mochizuki, M.D., Ph.D., Noriyuki Inaba, M.D., Ph.D., Hirohisa Kurachi, M.D., Ph.D.  Fertility and Sterility  Volume 95, Issue 3, Pages 1168-1170 (March 2011) DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.09.041 Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 HUVECs were pretreated with RU-486 (1 nM), ORG31710 (1 nM), or flutamide (1 nM) and then treated with 1 nM E2 or 1 nM E2 + 10−6 M MPA for 15 minutes. The lysates were subjected to Western blotting using anti-phospho Akt, anti-Akt (A), anti-phospho eNOS, or anti-eNOS (B) antibody. The lysates were also used to examine eNOS activity (C). After introduction of GR or AR siRNA, HUVECs were treated with 1 nM E2 or 1 nM E2 + 10−6 M MPA for 15 minutes (D, E). Both relative densitometric units and relative eNOS activity are shown with the density of the vehicle bands (A, B, D, E) and basal activity of eNOS (C) set arbitrarily at 1.0. Bars with different letters are significantly different (P<.01). Fertility and Sterility 2011 95, 1168-1170DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.09.041) Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions