| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2541997 | International Immunopharmacology | 2008 | 8 Pages |
The aim of the present work was to study some of the adverse effects produced by hyperandrogenism on the uterine function. Daily injection of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA: 6 mg/ 100 g body weight, sc) for 20 consecutive days induced polycystic ovaries in BALB/c mice. In this model, we found that DHEA produced alterations on uterine histology closely related to the development of tumour structures. In addition, hyperandrogenism induced a pro-inflammatory and a pro-oxidant condition represented by increased levels of prostaglandin F2 alpha production and uterine nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and by a decrease in both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities together with a decrease in the levels of the antioxidant metabolite glutathione (GSH). DHEA also induced an increase in CD4+ together with a decrease in the CD8+ T lymphocytes that infiltrate the uterine tissue. We conclude that this intricate network of regulators could be responsible for the low rate of implantation observed in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
