an investigation on body weights, blood glucose levels and pituitary-gonadal axis hormones in diabetic and metformin-treated diabetic female rats

diabetes is a metabolic disorder which affects whole body systems including reproductive system. diabetes is also a contributing factor to infertility. metformin is one of the most common drugs to control hyperglycemia. in this study, 36 adult sprague-dawley female rats (170-210 g) were divided into 3 groups (control, diabetic and diabetic-treated by metformin). in second and third groups, diabetes was induced by streptozotocin injection (45 mg kg-1, ip) and the third group was treated by metformin hydrochloride (100 mg kg-1 day-1, po) for 8 weeks. body weights were compared and blood glucose, gonadotropins and sexual hormones were measured. in diabetic group the blood glucose level significantly (p < 0.05) increased in comparison with that of control and metformin-treated diabetic rats. the results also revealed that, in the untreated diabetic rats, the mean body weights and pituitary-gonadal axis hormones were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in comparison with the control. although there were significant (p < 0.05) reduction in mean body weights in metformin-treated diabetic rats, reduction in pituitary-gonadal axis hormones was not as sharp as in untreated diabetic rats and only level of progesterone was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in comparison with the control. the results of this investigation revealed that there was a clear relationship between experimental diabetes with body weight and pituitary-gonadal axis hormones, and treatment with metformin relatively restored diabetic complications.