The use of dehydroepiandrosterone-treated rats is not a good animal model for the study of metabolic abnormalities in polycystic ovary syndrome

Oct 22, 2018Taiwanese journal of obstetrics & gynecology

Dehydroepiandrosterone-treated rats are not a good model for studying metabolic problems in polycystic ovary syndrome

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Abstract

DHEA-treated rats exhibited reproductive abnormalities consistent with human PCOS, including an abnormal estrus cycle and increased plasma testosterone levels.

DHEA treatment caused the formation of multiple cystic follicles in the ovaries of treated rats.
No significant changes were observed in fasting glucose, fasting insulin, plasma lipid profiles, or blood pressure levels in DHEA-treated rats.
Adiposity in DHEA-treated rats was lower compared to control rats.
Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were only mildly impaired in the DHEA-treated group.
Insulin signaling in skeletal muscles was decreased in the DHEA-treated rats.

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OBJECTIVE: Hyperandrogenism is the hallmark of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The use of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-treated rats is thought to be a suitable animal model to study PCOS. In the present study, we assessed the severity of reproductive and metabolic abnormalities in DHEA-treated rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Immature female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control and DHEA-treated groups. Reproductive parameters including estrus cycle and sex hormones were measured after sexual maturity. Adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and plasma lipid profiles were analyzed to assess metabolic profiles. After sacrifice, the insulin signaling pathway and lipogenic genes were analyzed by immunoblotting and polymerase chain reaction, respectively.

RESULTS: An abnormal estrus cycle was observed in the DHEA-treated rats. DHEA treatment also increased plasma testosterone levels and caused multiple cystic follicle formation, which is compatible with the definition of PCOS. There were no significant changes in fasting glucose, fasting insulin, plasma lipid profiles, and blood pressure levels. The adiposity of the DHEA-treated rats was also lower than in the control rats. Moreover, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were only mildly impaired in the DHEA-treated rats after oral glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance tests, even though insulin signaling in skeletal muscles was decreased in the DHEA-treated group.

CONCLUSION: DHEA-treated rats had reproductive abnormalities which mimicked symptoms of human PCOS. In metabolic parameters, DHEA treatment did not show insulin resistance in the female rats, suggesting that the use of DHEA-treated rats is not a good animal model for the study of metabolic abnormalities in PCOS.

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The use of dehydroepiandrosterone-treated rats is not a good animal model for the study of metabolic abnormalities in polycystic ovary syndrome

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