Abstract
Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects 6-10% of women in reproductive age. The medicinal values of Citrullus colocynthis extract (CCT) stems from its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. This study evaluated the comparative effect of CCT and metformin on morphometric ovarian disorders in PCOS rats.Materials and Methods: Fifty female Wistar rats having 2-3 consecutive estrous cycles during two weeks were divided into five groups (n=10 each group). The rats in the control group only received sesame oil as estradiol valerate solvent, whereas the rats in the sham group were injected intramuscularly with 4 mg/rat estradiol valerate-induced PCOS. Following PCOS induction, the rats in the metformin group received 50 mg/kg metformin orally for three weeks. Rats in the Extract group were treated with 50 mg/kg plant extract for 21 days following the induction with PCOS. Additionally, the rats in metformin+ extract group were treated with the combination of 50 mg metformin plus plant extract for three weeks. The ovaries were removed and were fixed for tissue processing. The slices were stained by hematoxylin-eosin after clearing and hydration. Follicular count and morphometric changes were evaluated in primordial, primary, pre-antral and antral follicles.Results: The mean diameter of primordial follicle was similar in all groups, but mean diameter of primary follicle decreased in the sham group (145.50± 49.26 µm) compared to metformin (278.76± 156.64 µm), extract (311.70± 147.74 µm) and metformin+ extract groups (265.35± 88.16 µm). The diameter of pre-antral and antral follicles in the sham group were significantly larger than those in the control group, but were not significantly different in all other groups including metformin, extract, and metformin+ extract in comparison with control group (P< 0.05).Conclusion: In this study, the data has demonstrated that CCT like metformin could improve follicular morphometric disorders in PCOS rats. [GMJ.2018;7:e1045]
Highlights
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by the presence of hyperandrogenism, oligo or anovulation, and polycystic ovary[1]
It is generally accepted that the elevated level of AMP inhibits the production of cAMP which in turn hinders the activity of protein kinase A (PKA), and suppresses the expression of gene encoding, the enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis
The results of this study demonstrated that the mean diameter of primordial follicles in the sham group (59.47± 5.21 μm) was similar to the other groups including control (67.47±13.40 μm), metformin (64.12±17.86 μm), extract (71.56±20.10 μm), and metformin+extract (63.43± 18.40 μm) (Figure-1)
Summary
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by the presence of hyperandrogenism, oligo or anovulation, and polycystic ovary[1]. The anti-inflammatory activity of CCT fruit extract (4 mg/kg) has been studied in carrageenan-induced paw edema model rats, and the results showed that this plant could be used as an anti-inflammation agent in medicine [16, 18, 19]. By using thin layer chromatography technique, Mineea et al, isolated and purified quercetin from all parts (root, fruit, leaves, seeds, and stem) of CCT [20] This quercetin which is a polyphenol from the flavonoid group possesses both anti-inflammatory and antiproliferation activities. This study evaluated the comparative effect of CCT and metformin on morphometric ovarian disorders in PCOS rats. Conclusion: In this study, the data has demonstrated that CCT like metformin could improve follicular morphometric disorders in PCOS rats. Conclusion: In this study, the data has demonstrated that CCT like metformin could improve follicular morphometric disorders in PCOS rats. [GMJ.2018;7:e1045] DOI:10.22086/gmj.v0i0.1045
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