INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF ALLOXAN-INDUCED DIABETES ON REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES (FOLLICLE STIMULATING, LUTEINIZING AND PROLACTIN), LIPID PROFILE AND SERUM ELECTROLYTES IN MALE AND FEMALE WISTAR RATS

Abstract

Human patients with Type1 diabetes and inadequate metabolic control have been found to exhibit a high prevalence of infertility but the exact mechanism by which this happens has not been fully elucidated. Alterations in the levels of lipids and electrolytes are considered to be good indications of some certain diseases including diabetes. This study aims at elucidating the impact of diabetes on the reproductive functions of male and female subjects as well as the responses of lipid profile which could be a determining factor affecting diabetic condition, to Alloxan-induced diabetes using male and female Wistar rats. To explore this, various hormonal assays assessing reproductive hormones such as Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH); Luteinizing hormone (LH); Prolactin hormone (PRL); lipid profile analyses and electrolytes measurements were employed. Our results showed that diabetes induce significant reduction in the levels of FSH and LH in both male and female rats (p<0.0001); significant reduction in the levels of LH in male (p<0.01) and female (p<0.0001); significant increase in the levels of prolactin (PRL) in male (p<0.05) and female (p<0.0001) ; significant increases in cholesterol levels in both male and female rats (p<0.01), an indication that diabetes is accompanied in most cases by hypercholesterolemia and triglycerides levels in both male (p<0.01) and female (p<0.0005) rats when compared to the control rats. The results obtained in this study shed more light on the mechanism by which fertility in male and female subjects is affected by diabetes and suggest possible mechanisms by which infertility could result from diabetes.