Abstract:

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of N-acetylcystein (NAC) on ovarian tissue and serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, and progesterone in Acrylamide (AA)treated adult rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-two adult female Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 7 groups of 6 including: a control group without treatment, a placebo group received distilled water intraperitoneally, an AA group received 50 mg/kg by oral gavage, a NAC group received 40 mg/kg intraperitoneally, an AA+NAC10, AA+NAC20 and an AA+NAC40 groups received 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg of NAC intraperitoneally, respectively and then also received 50 mg/kg AA by oral gavage for 28 days. Serum levels of FSH, LH, estradiol and progesterone were measured by radioimmunoassay method and ovarian tissue was evaluated histopathologically. Results: Administrating AA alone decreased the number of ovarian follicles, corpus luteum and the levels of FSH, estradiol and progesterone, while increased the number of atretic follicles and LH level compared to the control, placebo and NAC groups (p<0.05). The administration of NAC alone had no effect on the number of ovarian follicles, corpus luteum and the level of hormones compared to the control and placebo groups (p>0.05). Following AA+NAC20 and AA+NAC40 administration and not AA+NAC10, the number of ovarian follicles, corpus luteum and also the levels of FSH, estradiol and progesterone increased, while the number of atretic follicles and LH level decreased (p<0.05), which was in a dose-dependent manner compared to the AA group. Conclusion: NAC could recover the AA female rat reproductive toxicity in a dose-dependent manner, and improved folliculogenesis. 

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