Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy causing non-ovulation infertility in women. Women with PCOS have higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, cholesterol and triglycerides but, in contrast, lower levels of follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) compared with healthy counterparts. Because of the limitations of human studies, animal models of PCOS have been developed to identify appropriate therapeutics and to explore their mechanisms of action. This study aimed to review the methods of PCOS induction in animal models. This systematic review used the keywords of PCOS, induction methods and animal models. The literature search was performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus databases to recruit studies published from 1900 to 2023. The titles and abstracts were read to eliminate unrelated studies. There are two types of hormonal and non-hormonal PCOS animal models. These animal models (i.e. female rats) present similarities to human PCOS regarding inflammatory and pathogenic pathways. The hormonal and metabolic functions of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which plays a vital role in the development of the ovary can be modulated by these pathways. In this review study, various PCOS induction methods in animal models, including the use of dehydroepiandrosteron, dihydrotestosterone, testosterone, human chorionic gonadotropin, estradiol valerate, letrozole, RU486 (mifepristone), and adenocorticotropin, belong long-term use of light is mentioned along with the effect mechanism and their advantages and disadvantages. Some PCOS animal models are considered the first generation, which present advantages and disadvantages compared with second-generation PCOS animal models. These animal models can be developed based on the researcher’s purpose. Considering their advantages and disadvantages, different types of PCOS animal models may be used for clinical research.
