Abstract
Context: The detrimental effects of arsenic on female reproductive functions may involve overt oxidative stress. Casein and pea [Pisum sativum Linn. (Fabaceae)] proteins have antioxidant properties.
Objective: To investigate the role of casein- and pea-supplemented high-protein diet (HPD) in utero-ovarian protection from arsenic toxicity.
Materials and methods: Adult female Wistar rats were orally gavaged with vehicle (Gr-I) or arsenic at 3 ppm/rat/d (Gr-II and Gr-III) for 30 consecutive days, when they were maintained on either regular diet containing 18% protein (Gr-I and Gr-II), or HPD containing 27% protein in the form of casein (20%) and pea (7%) (Gr-III). Reproductive functions were evaluated using a battery of biochemical and histological techniques.
Results: As compared to Gr-I, the Gr-II rats suffered from loss of estrous cyclicity, reduction in weight (mg/100 g body weight) of ovary (Gr-I: 54.3 ± 4.2 versus Gr-II: 35.8 ± 1.6; p < 0.001) and uterus (Gr-I: 161.7 ± 24.6 versus Gr-II: 94.44 ± 13.2; p < 0.05), utero-ovarian degeneration, attenuated ovarian activities (unit/mg tissue/h) of Δ5, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (Gr-I: 3.41 ± 0.12 versus Gr-II: 2.31 ± 0.09; p < 0.01) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (Gr-I: 3.82 ± 0.57 versus Gr-II: 1.24 ± 0.19; p < 0.001), and decreased serum estradiol level (pg/ml) (Gr-I: 61.5 ± 2.06 versus 34.1 ± 2.34; p < 0.001). Ovarian DNA damage was preponderant with blatant generation of malondialdehyde (nM/mg tissue; Gr-I: 15.10 ± 2.45 versus Gr-II: 29.51 ± 3.44; p < 0.01) and attenuated superoxide dismutase activity (unit/mg tissue) (Gr-I: 2.18 ± 0.19 versus Gr-II: 1.33 ± 0.18; p < 0.05). The Gr-III rats were significantly protected from these ill effects of arsenic.
Discussion and conclusion: HPD, by way of antioxidant properties, may find prospective role in the protection of reproductive damage caused by arsenic.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial assistance from the Minor Research Project No. F.PSW-074/09-10 (ERO) provided by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India.