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Abstract

The present study was proposed to delineate the curative role of arjunolic acid and vitamin B 12 alone or in combination against arsenic induced oxidative stress and female reproductive dysfunction. The Wistar strain adult female rats were treated with sodium arsenite at the dose of 1.0 mg/100 gm body weight orally for first eight days. Next eight days rats were treated with arjunolic acid (1.0 mg/100 gm body weight) and vitamin B 12 (0.09 μg/100 gm body weight) orally. In ovarian and uterine tissue showed a recovery in arsenic induced ROS-production following the post-treatment of arjunolic acid and vitamin B 12. Antioxidant status was also improved by arjunolic acid and vitamin B 12 as established from the electrozymographic analysis of SOD, catalase and GPx. Post-treatment of these two significantly retrieved ovarian estradiol receptor 1 (ESR-1) from arsenic induced down regulation. Arjunolic acid and vitamin B 12 also showed its curative ability in improving the level of inflammatory markers such as NF-κB, metallothioneine-1 (MT-1), TNF-α, IL-6. Thus these two bioactive substances might have the curative role against arsenic induced female reproductive dysfunction. INTRODUCTION: The trioxide form of arsenic has the ability to react with cellular thiols to exert its toxicity and during the metabolism of thiols in cells reactive oxygen species generates which thereby promotes tissue damage 1. Arsenic is the cause of several reproductive hazards. It impairs spermatogenesis process and decreases the spermatogenetic enzymes in male reproductive system. The spermatogenic meiosis and the postmeiotic stages were altered by arsenic. Gonadal dysfunctions like declined testosterone synthesis, apoptotic and necrotic changes due to arsenic mediated oxidative damage 2 may cause male infertility.