Fig. 4

GH regulated apoptosis-related genes and proteins in GCs from patients with PCOS. a The mRNA expression of Bax, caspase-9 and caspase-3 were decreased, whereas that of Bcl-2 was increased in the GCs of the PCOS-GH group compared with those in the PCOS-C group (P < 0.05), but similar to those in non-PCOS controls (P > 0.05). *P < 0.05 compared with the PCOS-C group. b B showed the protein bands of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-9, cleaved caspase-9, caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 by western blot. GAPDH was used as a protein-loading control. c The protein level of Bcl-2 was increased, whereas those of Bax, cleaved caspase-9/caspase-9, and cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 were decreased in GCs of the PCOS-GH group compared with those in the PCOS-C group (P < 0.05), but similar to those in non-PCOS controls (P > 0.05). *P < 0.05 compared with the PCOS-C group. d Concentrations of active caspase-9 (7.11 ± 1.31 ng/mL vs. 22.39 ± 2.79 ng/mL) and active caspase-3 (5.90 ± 1.42 ng/mL vs. 15.88 ± 2.11 ng/mL) were significantly lower in the GCs of the PCOS-GH group compared with those in the PCOS-C group (P < 0.05), but similar to those in non-PCOS controls (6.99 ± 1.08 ng/mL and 5.35 ± 1.06 ng/mL) (P > 0.05). *P < 0.05 compared with the PCOS-C group