Anovulatory Follicle Development in Adult Albino Mice Due to Prolonged Exposures to Genistein

Genistein is a soy phytoestrogen that mediates its functions by interacting with the endogenous estrogen receptor β. To investigate the effect of 10mg/kg body weight/ day genistein administration up to 90 days on the ovarian folliculogenesis and its correlation with serum gonadotropins and estrogen, adult Mus musculus were either administered with 1:4 DMSO : PBS (vehicle) or with 10mg genistein/kg body weight dissolved in vehicle for 30, 60 and 90 days. Post sacrifice on 31 st , 61 st and 91 st day, blood serum was separated and the gonadotropins (LH and FSH) and estrogen hormone was estimated by ELISA and Bouin’s fixed ovaries of control and treated mice were used for histology after H&E staining. Comparison of the ovarian sections revealed increased number of arrested anovulatory follicles along the treatment groups i.e., 30 60 and 90 days and chronological decrease in the serum concentrations of LH, FSH as well as estrogens (two way ANOVA, at p<0.05 to p<0.001). Together these results suggested for delayed folliculogenesis and reduced number of mature oocytes, which could be correlated with less to nil offspring production signifying lesser fertility or sometimes severity may end up in sterility. INTRODUCTION: It is well documented that during the normal process of ovarian differentiation, the germ cells form clusters or nests, which have similarities with the germ line cysts found in female invertebrates and males of almost all species of animals 1, 2 . These cysts are formed as a result of series of incomplete cell divisions of the oogonia just after their formation. QUICK RESPONSE CODE DOI: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.5(9).3752-57 Article can be accessed online on: www.ijpsr.com DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.5(9).3752-57 These cells remain connected with each other and subsequently undergo meiotic divisions where after they are called oocytes 1 . These germ-line cysts or oocyte nests of mouse dissociate post partum and become surrounded with pre-granulosa cells to form individual primordial follicles 3 . The dissociation of the germline cysts are known as nest breakdown, during which 2/3 rd of the total number of oocytes disintegrates and only 1/3 rd of them survive 3 . These events eventually give rise to two sub-populations of oocytes-one being those which survive, differentiate and form the functional oocytes and the other that support and protect the oocytes but eventually die during the process. Estrogens have been reported to be involved in the