Investigation of Therapeutic Effects of Erdosteine on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in a Rat Model

Abstract

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a serious endocrine disorder. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of erdosteine in letrozole-induced PCOS in rats. Methods: Thirty-two Wistar albino female rats were grouped as control group (C), PCOS group (PCOS), PCOS-metformin group (PCOS+MET), and PCOS-erdosteine group (PCOS+Erd). PCOS was induced by administering letrozole; such rats presented with sex hormone disorder, abnormal estrous cycles determined by daily vaginal smear, large cystic follicles, and increasing fasting insulin levels. After induction of PCOS, metformin (500 mg/kg/day) and erdosteine (100 mg/kg/day) were given orally to the treatment groups for 30 days. Serum concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, as well as the total oxidant and antioxidant status, oxidative stress index, circulating estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), testosterone, and androstenedione were evaluated. The ovaries were graded histologically. Results: Weights of ovarian tissues (p < 0.05) and the number of atretic follicles (p < 0.001) and cystic follicles (p < 0.01) decreased in the PCOS+Erd group; the corpus luteum number was significantly higher in the PCOS+Erd group (p < 0.01) as compared with the PCOS group. Lipid parameters (total-C, LDL-C, and TG), E1 (estrone), E1/E2 ratio, testosterone, and androstenedione significantly decreased, while HDL-C and E2 (estradiol) significantly increased in the PCOS+Erd group as compared with the PCOS group. Moreover glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR were reduced with treatment of erdosteine (p > 0.05, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: It is suggested that erdosteine may be used in the treatment of PCOS as an alternative to metformin. It appears that our findings might be supported by clinical and molecular studies.

Troxerutin protects against DHT-induced polycystic ovary syndrome in rats

“…However, there was a significant troxerutin-caused (300 mg/kg) decline in hypothalamic GnRH. In regard to the serum hormone levels in rats, many previous studies have reported that LH were generally in the range of 1.5~3 mIU/ml [34,35], FSH levels varied from 8mIU/ml to 20mIU/ml [26,36] and testosterone varied from 0.2 to 10 ng/ml [34,[36][37][38][39], which were approximately consistent with the corresponding results in the present study. Conclusively, troxerutin treatment 300 kg/mg to rats for up to 4 weeks inhibited the hyperactive GnRH/LH system in PCOS rats.…”

Inulin and metformin ameliorate polycystic ovary syndrome <i>via</i> anti-inflammation and modulating gut microbiota in mice

“…Our further study revealed that amelioration of PCOS phenotype including hormonal disturbance may closely associated with the reduction of inflammation and the alteration of gut microbiota. In this paper, dietary inulin and metformin were demonstrated to possess capacity to alleviate PCOS throughout a series of routine indicators including pathological examination, reduced BWs, as well as rectification of abnormal hormones (T and E2), which were consistent with previous studies [19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

Letrozole treatment of pubertal female mice results in activational effects on reproduction, metabolism and the gut microbiome

“…Moreover, although testosterone, DHT and letrozole are commonly employed to induce PCOS-like characteristics in pubertal or adult female rodents, it is not well understood whether androgen excess during these time periods results in organizational or activational effects. Indeed, several recent studies have assumed that letrozole treatment of pubertal female rodents causes organizational effects [47][48][49][50]. Given that our study demonstrated that letrozole treatment exerted mostly activational effects during puberty, this finding implies that letrozole treatment needs to be present for the entire duration of the study to effectively model PCOS.…”