Open AccessChronic Administration of Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill Causes Prefrontal Cortical Oxidative Stress in Female Wistar Rats
Author(s) -
Bamidele Stephen Ajilore,
Olubukola Sinbad Olorunnisola,
Tolulope Olamide Oluwadairo,
Olumide Samuel Fadahunsi,
Peter Ifeoluwa Adegbola
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nigerian journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1116-4182
DOI - 10.47081/njn2021.12.2/002
Subject(s) - endocrinology , medicine , superoxide dismutase , oxidative stress , acetylcholinesterase , chemistry , prefrontal cortex , biochemistry , enzyme , cognition , psychiatry
Combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) is used by women to prevent ovulation. This study investigated toxicological effects of COCP on the brain of female rats. Fifteen rats were divided at random into three groups (n=5): Normal control, and first and second cycles treated orally with COCP (0.04 μg/kg bwt of ethinyl oestradiol and 2 μg/kg bwt levonorgestrel) daily for 21 and 42 days respectively. Toxicological effect of treatment on the brain was assessed in the prefrontal cortical acetylcholinesterase, sodium/potassium-ATPase (Na+/K+-ATPase), superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione levels. Histomorphological examination of the prefrontal cortex of the rats in all the groups was carried out. Activities of cortical Na+/K+-ATPase, acetylcholinesterase, superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly (p<0.05) reduced following chronic administration of COCP. Histomorphological study of the pre-frontal cortex showed large pyramidal neurons, pyknotic pyramidal neurons, condensed nuclei and increased perineural spaces. Results showed that chronic administration of oral contraceptive caused prefrontal cortical oxidative stress by repressing activities of antioxidant enzymes, Na+/K+-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase.