The effect of l-arginine on estrogen level and ovarian cyst in aged rats with polycystic ovaries

Mohammadreza Jalali Nadoushan | Fatemeh Lakzaei | Manizheh Karami

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URL :   http://research.shahed.ac.ir/WSR/WebPages/Report/PaperView.aspx?PaperID=158723
Date :  2021/07/28
Publish in :    Journal of Basic and Clinical Pathophysiology

Link :  http://jbcp.shahed.ac.ir
Keywords :Menopause, Nitric oxide, Elderly

Abstract :

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Abstract Background and Objective: Menopause in women is associated with many complications that most of them are related to the decrease of estrogen levels in this period. Treatment with high doses of estrogen is common but has side effects. In this study, the effect of L-arginine administration on the level of this hormone in elderly rat was investigated. Materials and Methods: Elderly Wistar rats were first studied with the help of Papanicolaou test to identify the stage of female sexual cycle. If confirmed to have diestrus phase, the rats were randomly classified into the following groups: control (saline 1 mL/kg, i.p.), and L-arginine dose-group (5, 25 and 50 mg/kg). They were injected saline or L-arginine over a period of three to nine days. At the end, the rats were anesthetized by i.p. injection of ketamine 100 mg/kg and xylazine 20 mg/kg, and the blood samples were collected, and the estrogen levels were measured with ELISA kit. The rats’ ovaries and uteri were also biometrically examined and fixed in the formalin. They were stained by H&E and the number of cysts in the ovaries were counted. The data were analyzed by the ANOVA. Results: L-Arginine at all doses (5-50 mg/kg) during all injection periods from three to nine days significantly increased the estrogen levels, but prominently reduced the ovarian cysts at the lowest doses (5 mg/kg). Conclusion: Low doses of L-arginine over short periods of time can relieve menopausal problems including estrogen levels and ovarian status probably by the modulator nitric oxide.