title: Ki-67 antigen expression in the mammary epithelium of female rats in persistent estrus treated with raloxifene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate Ki-67 antigen expression in the mammary epithelium of female rats in persistent estrus treated with raloxifene.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one Wistar-Hannover rats in persistent estrus induced by 1.25 mg of testosterone propionate were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (control, n = 21) in which the animals received only the vehicle (propylene glycol) and Group B (experimental, n = 20) in which the rats received 750 µg/day of raloxifene by gavage. After 21 days of treatment, all the animals were sacrificed and the first pair of abdominal-inguinal mammary glands was extirpated and fixed in 10% buffered formalin to investigate Ki-67 expression by immunohistochemistry. The data were analysed using Student's t-test (p < 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of Ki-67-stained nuclei per 500 cells in the mammary epithelium was 42.33 ± 6.18 and 15.51 ± 3.71 [mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM)] in the control and experimental groups, respectively (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Raloxifene treatment significantly reduced Ki-67 expression in the mammary epithelium of rats in persistent estrus.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Lopes-Costa
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Costa-Silva
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lopes-Dias
authors.forename: A C P
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Nazário
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Alencar
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000737:chemistry*; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride