ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECT OF ALPHA LIPOIC ACID AND OLIVE OIL ON LETROZOLE-INDUCED POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME IN RAT MODEL: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a multi-symptom endocrine disorder that results from androgen excess, particularly testosterone, and ovarian dysfunction that disrupts HPO axis function. Women with PCOS possess an altered immune response system which presents a low-grade chronic inflammatory state in them. Serum cytokine levels in the letrozole-induced PCOS rats will be investigated after treatment with Alpha lipoic acid and Olive oil and the results compared with a healthy control group. Thirty-five rats were used for this experiment, each group consisting of seven rats. Group 1 was the control group, while Groups 2 – 5 were induced with 1ml/1kg of letrozole for 22 days. Drug administration for the rats distributed into five groups are as follows: the non-PCOS control group was administered 0.5ml of saline water, the PCOS control group was administered 0.5ml of distilled water, and three PCOSinduced groups were administered 2mg/kg of clomiphene citrate and 7.14mg/kg of metformin, 1mg/kg of alpha lipoic acid and 4ml/kg of olive oil respectively for 14 days. At the end of the experimental period, the rats were anaesthetized with diethyl ether and sacrificed by jugular puncture 25 hours after the last treatment. The serum Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-𝛼) and Interleukin (IL-6) levels of letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome rats were assayed for and the results were analyzed. It was reported in this study, that letrozole-induced PCOS Wistar rats possess high serum levels of TNF- 𝛼 and IL-6. Alpha lipoic acid and Olive oil exert anti-inflammatory potentials against IL-6 released into the bloodstream compared favourably with metformin and clomiphene citrate. Olive oil showed a great anti-inflammatory potential against TNF- 𝛼 release into the bloodstream. Therefore, it can be exploited as a management option in the treatment of PCOS.