Dexamethasone as endocrine disruptor; type I and type II (anti) oestrogenic actions on the ovary and uterus of adult Wistar rats (Rattus Novergicus)

Abstract

ObjectiveDexamethasone is a widely used glucocorticoid, which has been prescribed increasingly in recent years. The effects of Dexamethasone on the ovary and uterus was investigated in present study.MethodsTwenty (20) adult female Wistar rats, weighing 130-170 g were assigned to four (4) groups of five (5) animals each. The rats in the control group received saline, while the rats in the experimental group was subjected to oral treatment of dexamethasone of 12 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 7 mg/kg doses daily for a period of 10 days, respectively. The rats were slaughtered after 24 hours of the last administration, and the uterus and ovaries were harvested following abdominal incision. Histological and biochemical investigations were carried out and the results were analyzed using ANOVA with the Graph-Pad prism software package 6.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in the activities of the carbohydrate metabolic enzymes of the uterus in the dexamethasone-treated groups compared to the control group (p<0.05). Vacuolation, atrophy, thick epithelium, enlarged cells, inactive interstitial glands and follicular cyst, characterized the histological observation in the dexamethasone-treated groups in a dose-dependent manner.ConclusionThis present study revealed that high-dose dexamethasone causes multiple changes in the histological features of the ovary and uterus, exerting type I and type II anti-oestrogenic effects on the female reproductive compartment.

Disruption of Circadian Rhythms: A Crucial Factor in the Etiology of Infertility

“…In the uterus, it was described that an increase of GCs causes a reduction of embryos implantation rate [58]. Ovaries exposed to GCs treatment undergo several damages such as steroidogenesis alteration, histological impairment [59], and reduction of the total number of germ cells and ovarian volume [60]. In oocytes, GCs impair their reproductive competence, inducing oocytes apoptosis [61].…”

Identifying the Degradation Products of Dexamethasone for COVID‐19 Treatment in Mexico City's Wastewater: Theory and Experiments

“…[26,27] Since dexamethasone structure contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and fluorine, the 12 C, 1 H, and 16 O isotopes correspond to the main isotopes with an abundance of around 99 %. These elements also have isotopes with lower abundance, such as 13 C and 17 O that exhibit a minor shift given the differences in the nuclear binding energies. This leads to several isotopologue peaks, which vary only in their isotopic composition.…”

“…It is known for its endocrine‐disrupting properties that it can suppress the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, reducing the production of corticotropin‐releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and endogenous cortisol. The continued deprivation of adrenocorticotropic hormone is known to cause atrophy of the adrenal glands [13] …”

“…The continued deprivation of adrenocorticotropic hormone is known to cause atrophy of the adrenal glands. [13] Notably, in central Mexico, wastewater has been reused for over a century to irrigate more than 85,000 ha of croplands. [14] Consequently, it is imperative to identify and assess the presence of dexamethasone and its degradation byproducts in wastewater, even in trace levels, due to their potential adverse effects on exposed organisms.…”

Extract of Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt protects ovarian follicle reserve of mice against in vitro deleterious effects of dexamethasone

“…Glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are expressed in many tissues (6), including the ovaries (7). Dare et al (8) found that high doses of DEXA (10 and 12 mg/kg) cause multiples changes in the histological characteristics of the ovary and uterus. In follicles at the earliest stages of development, DEXA increased the rate of degeneration in fragments of ovarian tissues cultured in vitro for six days (9).…”