MUC5AC and Stroke: Estrogens, primarily estradiol (E2), have a protective role in experimental stroke,52,53 and this neuroprotective effect can be abolished by OVX and restored with exogenous E2 replacement.54 Therefore, to understand the effect of ovarian hormones on the colonic epithelial responses to stroke, and to determine whether the mucin response is mediated by hormones, we ovariectomized young female mice 14 d prior to stroke and isolated colonic ECs at post-stroke day 7.