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Effect of Lepidium Meyenii in polycystic ovary syndrome / Çelikdemir et al.___________________________________________________________
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serum and liver of rats with PCOS and found that serum MDA levels
were elevated compared to the control group, while MDA levels
were decreased when resveratrol was administered. Excessive
androgen levels may cause oxidative stress independently of obesity
and many other diseases. Hyperandrogenism has been suggested
to induce the premature activation of mononuclear cells in people
with PCOS, leading to an increase in ROS production independent
of other conditions [28]. However, the exact mechanisms behind
ROS generation in PCOS remain unclear. Certain research indicate
that NADPH oxidase may contribute to reactive oxygen species
production in diverse cell types [28]. In the current investigation,
the rise in testosterone and LH levels and the decrease in FSH levels
support the increase in lipid peroxidation due to ROS increase. Also
these changes may occur due to changes in redox balance. The
findings of the current investigation regarding MDA levels in rats with
PCOS are in agreement with a study in which some investigators
reported that MDA levels were increased in PCOS applied grup
compared with controls in famales who was not obese with PCOS
[29]. This study results indicate the presence of oxidative damage
in rats with testosterone–induced polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Research indicates that insulin resistance may play a role in the onset
of PCOS and intensify oxidative damage [30], and the findings in this
study, particularly concerning insulin levels and oxidative damage
biomarkers in the PCOS group, support this notion.
Pandey et al. [31] studied the impact of some parameters PCOS in
rats. They observed a reduce in the antioxidant.enzymes activities
(SOD and CAT) on the 7
th
d, followed by an increase on the 15
th
and 21
st
d. Besides this found an increase to lipid peroxidation and
testosterone levels. Although the CAT and SOD data on the 7
th
d are
consistent with this study findings, there is a difference in the data
on the 21
st
d. The researchers proposed that the rise in oxidative
damage and inflammatory biomarkers occurs comparatively early
in the development of PCOS. In the present study and many other
studies, the changes were found to be evident on the 21
st
day [11,
32, 33]. Hassan and Al–Husseini [34] determined the some oxidative
stress indicators level in PCOS patients and found that CAT enzyme
activities decreased significantly and MDA levels increased in PCOS
patients. Huang and Zhang [35] showed that luteolin alleviated
polycystic ovarium syndrome in rats by addressing oxidative stress
and insulin resistance, and determined that the levels of antioxidants,
whose activities were determined in this study, decreased. Uçkan
et al. [36] found that GST activity, which is an antioxidant enzyme,
decreased in the PCOS patient group and thought that this decrease
was due to its use in the fight against ROS.
PCOS is associated with oxidative damage, potentially initiated by
hydroxyl (OH·) radicals. GSH and GST play vital roles in protecting
cell and tissues from the deleterious consequences of PCOS.
GSH interacts directly or serves as a cofactor/coenzyme, utilizing
its – SH group in a manner similar to how ROS interact. Since
biological membranes are particularly susceptible to peroxidation,
GSH provides essential protective benefits [36]. The current
investigation found a decrease in GST activity, likely reflecting its
increased utilization in counteracting ROS generated during PCOS
progression. Moreover, CAT activity was diminished in PCOS group,
indicative of ovarium toxicity. Reduced CAT activity facilitates
the formation of OH· from H2O2, exacerbating oxidative stress.
This reduction may result from disrupted antioxidant defenses,
potentially as an adaptive response to elevated oxidative stress
levels in ovarian tissue. The antioxidant enzyme GSH–Px, an
early defense against ROS, also showed decreased activity in
PCOS–affected groups, accompanied by a decline in its substrate,
GSH. The primary reason for the reduced activity of GSH–Px is
the inhibition of enzymatic function due to ROS. Moreover, the
binding of ROS to proteins can lead to structural alterations and
oxidation, further reducing enzymatic activity in the context of
oxidative stress induced by PCOS [37].
Hormonal imbalances in women with PCOS lead to various
pathological symptoms. Several hormones, including insulin, ghrelin,
growth hormone (GH), gonadotropin–releasing hormone (GnRH),
LEAP–2, LH, FSH, estrogens and testosterone levels are determined
to be irregular in these females These hormonal irregularities are
linked to metabolic issues such as insulin resistance, diabetes,
obesity, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility in PCOS patients
[38]. Numerous studies [30, 31, 32, 33, 35] have demonstrated
alterations in hormone levels and biomarkers such as FSH, insulin,
LH, glucose, cholesterol, and testosterone. In general, due to
endocrinopathy in individuals with PCOS, increases in the levels of LH
hormone, which initiates ovulation and provides growth of the corpus
luteum, decreases in FSH levels, which provide maturation of ovarian
follicles, increases in testosterone levels, which is an androgen,
and increases in insulin, glucose, and cholesterol levels, again as a
direct or indirect result of endocrinopathy, have been determined.
Similar results were found in the current study, and it was stated that
these changes occur as a result of hyperandrogenism, polycystic
ovaries, chronic anovulation, and metabolic disorders. In studies
emphasizing the changes in the histopathological structure of the
ovarian tissue in rats with PCOS, it was found that the quantity of
atretic and cystic follicles increased [32, 38], and in another study,
A small reduction in the average number of primordial and primary
follicles, as well as corpus luteum, was observed in the PCOS–
induced group compared to the control group [32]. In the current
investigation, despite the elevated quantity of cystic follicles seen
in the PCOS and PCOS+maca groups, the fact that the number of
corpus luteum was higher in the PCOS+maca group compared to
the PCOS group and approached the control group values indicates
that the necessary environment for healthy sexual development
has been re–established.
Traditionally and scientifically it has been proven that the maca
plant can increase fertility in humans and animals [39], as evidence
indicates that the maca plant can enhance libido and boost sperm
count in male and reduce sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal
female in animals [40] and possibly increase female fertility [41,
42]. The precise mechanism of action remains unknown, further
studies will shed light on this.
Ali Amin et al. [43] examined the effect of maca root extract on the
improvement of sperm status in obese diabetic male rats and found
that CAT activities, which decreased after maca administration,
increased in proportion to the dose and decreased the increased
lipid peroxidation (MDA) levels. Researchers also emphasized that
it provided improvement in sex hormone (Testosterone, FSH, LH),
glucose and cholesterol levels, which it was tried to emphasize in
this study. The researchers thought that the maca plant achieved
this by preserving the equilibrium between oxidant and antioxidant
levels. When maca or antioxidant compounds were used at various
doses in rats and mice, certain effects were observed in response to
stress factors [44, 45]. Qui et al. [46] suggest that maca enhances
the activity of some antioxidant enzymes, regardless of the active