Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Can Lead to Neurocognitive Changes in Female Rats Treated with Letrozole

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in premenopausal women. Brain functions may be affected in PCOS, and studies reported that PCOS patients are at greater risk for developing mental health conditions, including anxiety or depression. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the neurocognitive changes in letrozole-induced PCOS model. Methods: Twenty female Wistar rats (eight-week-old; 160 ± 10 g) were divided into two groups. Group one received vehicle only (carboxymethyl cellulose, orally) once daily, and group two received letrozole (1 mg/kg, orally) once daily. Drugs or vehicles were administered for 21 days. Afterward, behavioral tests, including forced swimming test, open field test, and Y-maze alteration task, were performed. Ovaries were removed after behavioral tests and assessed histologically to confirm the induction of PCOS. Results: Animals with PCOS developed depressive-like behaviors compared with control in forced swimming test (P < 0.001). Anxiety-like behaviors were detected in letrozole-induced PCOS group (P < 0.05). Moreover, animals with PCOS exhibited memory impairment in comparison to normal animals in Y-maze memory assessment (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Rats with PCOS showed a neurocognitive decline in the model of letrozole administration. Future studies should be conducted to clarify the exact mechanisms of these changes and possible approaches to restore them.

Acetate meliorates depressive-like behaviour in a rat model of PCOS through suppression of HDAC2 expression and DNA methylation

“…Furthermore, the loss of ability to experience pleasure (anhedonia), and anxiolytic behavior observed from the sucrose preference and elevated plus maze tests con rm overt depression in our model. These behavioral ndings in PCOS animals agree with other research works where similar cognitive and behavioral de cits in PCOS animals were reported (Yu et al 2016;Cui et al 2018;Mohammadi et al 2021).…”

The Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Hormonal and Histopathological Changes in Female Wistar Rats with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

“…PCOS is the most common gynecological endocrine disease which increases the body weight and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis (37,38). In agreement with our results, Mohammadi et al showed that ovaries develop histological changes after treatment with letrozole for 21 days and reported neurological impairment in rats with PCOS (24).…”

Virgin coconut oil reverses behavioral phenotypes of letrozole-model of PCOS in Wistar rats via modulation of NRF2 upregulation

“…Our diagnosis of PCOS was based on biochemical evidence of sex hormonal dysfunction and hyperandrogenism, 26 , 27 in agreement with the Rotterdam criteria of 2003 (Rotterdam, 2003). 28 Our results showed that letrozole-only treated animals had significantly elevated serum GnRH, LH, and testosterone, and low FSH values.…”