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Journal of Ovarian Research
Published in: Journal of Ovarian Research 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research

Therapeutic potentials of Quercetin in management of polycystic ovarian syndrome using Letrozole induced rat model: a histological and a biochemical study

Authors: Sarwat Jahan, Abira Abid, Sidra Khalid, Tayyaba Afsar, Qurat-Ul-Ain, Ghazala Shaheen, Ali Almajwal, Suhail Razak

Published in: Journal of Ovarian Research | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

PCOS is a leading endocrinopathy of young women instigating androgens elevation, insulin resistance, obesity, cardiometabolic and menstrual complications. The study investigated the effects of quercetin in a letrozole induced rat model of polycystic ovarian syndrome, which displayed both clinical and metabolic features as in PCOS women.

Methods

Female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups; control group received aqueous solution of carboxymethyl (CMC 0.5%); PCOS group administered with letrozole (1 mg/kg) dissolved in solution (CMC 0.5%); Metformin group given with metformin (20 mg/kg) + letrozole (1 mg/kg); and Quercetin group provided with quercetin (30 mg/kg) + letrozole (1 mg/kg). All doses were given orally via gavage, for 21 consecutive days and colpocytological analysis was carried till end. After 21rst day, blood was taken out, centrifuged and plasma was kept for biochemical analysis (ELISA, anti-oxidant enzymes, lipid profile) and the reproductive organs were dissected out for histopathological evaluation.

Results

Quercetin as a chief member of flavonoid, showed beneficial effects by decreasing body weight, ovarian diameter, cysts and restoring healthy follicles, follicle’s extra-glandular layers, and corpora lutea in contrast to the positive control. Additionally, lipid profile and anti-oxidant status were also maintained to baseline which was very high in diseased rats (p < 0.001).Quercetin depicted a mark regulation in steroidogenesis by decreasing the levels of testosterone (0.78 ng/ml ± 0.14 in quercetin vs. PCOS positive control 1.69 ng/ml ± 0.17, p < 0.001) and estradiol (8.85 pg/ml ± 0.19 in quercetin vs. PCOS positive 1.61 pg/ml ± 0.29) and increasing progesterone levels (34.47 ng/ml ± 1.65 in quercetin vs. 11.08 ng/ml ± 1.17 in PCOS positive). The effects of quercetin were moderately parallel to the standard drug available in market i.e. metformin.

Conclusion

The present study has confirmed that quercetin has the potentials to alleviate the hormonal and metabolic disturbances occurring in PCOS.
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Metadata
Title
Therapeutic potentials of Quercetin in management of polycystic ovarian syndrome using Letrozole induced rat model: a histological and a biochemical study
Authors
Sarwat Jahan
Abira Abid
Sidra Khalid
Tayyaba Afsar
Qurat-Ul-Ain
Ghazala Shaheen
Ali Almajwal
Suhail Razak
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Journal of Ovarian Research / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1757-2215
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-018-0400-5

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