Fenofibrate ameliorates letrozole-induced polycystic ovary in rats via modulation of PPARα and TNFα/CD95 pathway

OBJECTIVE

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine health problem during the childbearing period that seriously affects fertility in females. Fenofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) agonist, showed beneficial effects in models of endocrine disturbances. Thus, we evaluated the potential therapeutic effect of fenofibrate in experimental PCOS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats received oral fenofibrate (300 mg/kg/day) for three weeks following a three-week PCOS induction regimen using oral letrozole (1 mg/kg/day). We determined the changes in body weight, levels of serum testosterone, insulin, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), ovarian malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and tissue tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and CD95 protein expressions. The tissue expression of interleukin-10 (IL10) and PPARα genes was determined.

RESULTS

Letrozole-treated rats showed successful induction of PCOS, confirmed by histopathology and significantly increased body weight, testosterone, insulin, AMH, and MDA, and decreased SOD. Ovaries of untreated PCOS rats showed increased TNFα and CD95 and decreased PPARα and IL10 expression. Administration of fenofibrate ameliorated the letrozole-induced PCOS changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Fenofibrate-mediated amelioration of PCOS in rats is attributed partly to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties and activation of PPARα.

Role of nitric oxide donor in methotrexate-induced testicular injury via modulation of pro-inflammatory mediators, eNOS and P-glycoprotein

Methotrexate (MTX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent but its clinical use is challenged with different forms of toxicities including testicular injury. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the potential protective effect of potassium channel opener, nicorandil (NIC) (3 and 10 mg/kg/day) on MTX-induced testicular injury in a rat model. Rats were randomly divided into four groups (nine rats each) and treated for 2 weeks as follows: (I) normal control (CON group) received vehicle, (II) model group (MTX group) given MTX (20 mg/kg) single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection dose on 11th day, (III) MTX + NLD group treated with NIC (3 mg/kg/day) orally for 2 weeks and MTX (20 mg/kg) single i.p. dose on 11th day, and (IV) MTX + NHD group treated with NIC (10 mg/kg/day) orally for 2 weeks and MTX (20 mg/kg) single i.p. injection on the 11th day. The testicular injury was assessed biochemically via serum testosterone, total antioxidant capacity, testicular oxidative stress parameters, P-glycoprotein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1β. Furthermore, histopathological evaluation, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) immunoexpression, and detection of p53 expression level using Western blotting were performed. Results showed that MTX induced testicular injury which was proved by both biochemical and histopathological evaluations. Our results concluded that NIC pretreatment attenuated MTX-induced testicular injury via significantly increased eNOS immunoexpression, antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Interestingly, NIC high dose is more protective than low dose.