MMP2 and atherosclerosis: According to our findings, the incubation of HAECs with E2 alone, at the lower concentration, increased the expression of LOX, while it exerted no significant effects on the expression of other molecules implicated in the advanced stages of atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability, such as MMP-2, MMP-9, PDGF-β, TIMP-1, and MCP-1.