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An investigation of the potential effects of amitriptyline on polycystic ovary syndrome induced by estradiol valerate

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Abstract

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is frequently observed in adolescent women and usually progresses with depression. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of amitriptyline (Ami), a drug used in the treatment of depression, in individuals with PCOS. Forty 12-week-old female Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, sham, PCOS, Ami, and PCOS + Ami. To induce the syndrome in the PCOS groups, a single dose of 4 mg/kg estradiol valerate was administered by intraperitoneal injection; 10 mg/kg Ami was administered by intraperitoneal injection for 30 days in the Ami groups. After 30 days, all the animals were sacrificed and blood, ovary, and brain tissues were collected and subjected to routine tissue processing. Stereological, histopathological analyses were performed on the ovarian sections, while luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were investigated in blood samples. The volume of the corpus luteum and preantral follicles increased in the PCOS group, while a decrease was determined in the number of antral follicles using stereological methods. Biochemical analysis revealed that FSH levels increased and CAT enzyme levels decreased in the PCOS group. Significant morphological changes were observed in ovaries from the PCOS group. The volume of the corpus luteum in the PCOS + Ami group decreased compared to the PCOS group. Serum FSH levels decreased in the PCOS + Ami group, while CAT enzyme levels increased compared to the PCOS group. Degenerative areas were also seen in the PCOS + Ami group ovaries. Ami administration was unable to sufficiently ameliorate the morphological and biochemical changes caused in the ovarian tissues by PCOS. In addition, this study is one of the few studies examining the effects of amitriptyline, an antidepressant frequently used in depression treatment of individuals with PCOS. We also observed firstly that use of amitriptyline caused PCOS-like ovarian morphology in healthy rat ovaries, while it had a healing effect by volume decreasing of cystic structures in the ovary with PCOS.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Project Management Office of Ondokuz Mayıs University (S. Kaplan; PYO.TIP.1904.19.002).

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  1. Işınsu Alkan

    Present address: Department of Basic Medical Science, Faculty of Dentistry, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Nevşehir, Turkey

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey

    Süleyman Kaplan

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Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: I.A. and S.K. Performed the experiments: I.A. Analyzed the data: I.A. and S.K. Wrote the manuscript: I.A. and S.K. The final editing of the paper: I.A. and SK.

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Correspondence to Süleyman Kaplan.

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Alkan, I., Kaplan, S. An investigation of the potential effects of amitriptyline on polycystic ovary syndrome induced by estradiol valerate. Histochem Cell Biol 160, 27–37 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-023-02188-3

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