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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on June 22, 2007
Human Reproduction 2007 22(8):2128-2135; doi:10.1093/humrep/dem168
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Tungstate administration improves the sexual and reproductive function in female rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes

J. Ballester1, M.C. Muñoz2, J. Domínguez2, M.J. Palomo1, M. Rivera1, T. Rigau1, J.J. Guinovart2 and J.E. Rodríguez-Gil1,3

1 Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain 2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and IRB Barcelona, Barcelona Science Park, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain

3 Correspondence address. Tel: +34-935811045; Fax: +34-935812006; E-mail: juanenrique.rodriguez{at}uab.es

BACKGROUND: Diabetes induces great alterations in female reproductive function. We analyzed the effects of tungstate, an anti-diabetic agent, on the reproductive function of healthy and diabetic female rats.

METHODS: Healthy and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with sodium tungstate (2 mg/ml in their drinking water) for 12 weeks. Markers of reproductive function and diabetes were measured in serum, and in uterus and ovaries by Western blot or RT–PCR. Reproductive function was also assessed by mating.

RESULTS: Diabetic rats showed great impairment of libido, which was accompanied by a total loss of fertility (P < 0.05) and a decrease in the serum levels of FSH (P < 0.05) and LH (P < 0.05) compared with healthy rats. Tungstate treatment of diabetic rats partially recovered libido while fertility rate increased to 66.6%. This improvement was accompanied by a recovery of serum FSH (to a level higher than healthy rats) and LH. Moreover, tungstate treatment normalized ovarian expression of GLUT 3 hexose transporter, and estrogen, progesterone and FSH receptors, whereas only GLUT 3 and FSH receptors were normalized in the uterus.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the alterations in female reproduction in diabetes were partially reversed after tungstate treatment by a mechanism(s) involving the normalization of serum FSH and LH levels, and ovarian and uterine expression of FSH receptors and GLUT3.

Key words: diabetes/female rats/reproductive function/tungstate/streptozotocin

Submitted on November 30, 2006; resubmitted on May 10, 2007; accepted on May 15, 2007.


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