2.1 To determine the effects of prolonged estrogen-deprived condition on whole-body and skeletal muscle insulin action by measuring the following parameters:-
a. Whole-body insulin sensitivity by oral glucose tolerance tests
b. Insulin action on skeletal muscle glucose transport
c. Serum levels of circulating lipids including total cholesterol (T-Chol), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Chol), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-Chol)
d. Skeletal muscle levels of GLUT-4 protein expression
2.2 To investigate how exercise training alone, estrogen replacement alone, and combined exercise training and estrogen replacement modulate aforementioned parameters (described in 2.1 a-2.1 d) in ovariectomized rats.
