['Hypercholesterolemia is a well-established risk factor for the development of kidney injury. Considering that female sex hormones may play a preventative role in both cardiovascular and renal diseases, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of female sex hormones on hypercholesterolemia-induced renal dysfunction.', "Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE) and C57 control female mice underwent an ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery and after 2 months, creatinine clearance, uremia and proteinuria were determined. Renal oxidative stress and lipid deposition were also quantified. Values are presented as mean\u2009±\u2009SEM. Statistical analyses were performed using Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test.", 'Creatinine clearance (μL/min) was similar between C57 (171\u2009±\u200917) and ApoE (140\u2009±\u200926) mice underwent sham surgery. OVX resulted in a reduced glomerular filtration rate in both C57 (112\u2009±\u20098, ~\u2009-\u200935%, p\u2009<\u20090.05) and ApoE (61\u2009±\u200910, ~\u2009-\u200956%, p\u2009<\u20090.05) animals. Plasma levels of urea (mg/dL) were higher in both ApoE groups (Sham: 73\u2009±\u20097; OVX: 73\u2009±\u20098, p\u2009<\u20090.05) when compared to C57 animals (Sham: 49\u2009±\u20093; OVX: 60\u2009±\u20094), with no changes among ovariectomized groups. Proteinuria levels (mg/24 h) were similar between C57 (Sham: 25.1\u2009±\u20095.7; OVX: 33.7\u2009±\u20094.7) and ApoE sham animals (26.4\u2009±\u20093.5), however, 24-h urine protein excretion was augmented in ApoE OVX animals (49.6\u2009±\u20095.8, p\u2009<\u20090.05). Histological kidney analysis demonstrated that the absence of female sex hormones resulted in increased oxidative stress, which was more severe in ApoE mice (C57 Sham: 9.2\u2009±\u20090.4; C57 OVX: 22.9\u2009±\u20091.0; ApoE Sham: 13.9\u2009±\u20090.7; ApoE OVX: 34.0\u2009±\u20091.4 au x 103, p\u2009<\u20090.05). As expected, ApoE mice presented higher lipid deposition, which was not affected by OVX (C57 Sham: 0\u2009±\u20090; C57 OVX: 0\u2009±\u20090; ApoE Sham: 6.8\u2009±\u20091.6; ApoE OVX: 5.2\u2009±\u20090.8% x 10-2, p\u2009<\u20090.05). Ovariectomy resulted in a similar reduction in ER-α protein expression in the renal cortex (C57: 0.78\u2009±\u20090.04; ApoE: 0.81\u2009±\u20090.04 au, p\u2009<\u20090.05) when compared to sham animals (C57:1.00\u2009±\u20090.04; ApoE: 1.03\u2009±\u20090.03 au).'] Do endogenous female sex hormones delay the development of renal dysfunction in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice?