The Effect of Sitagliptin on Inflammatory Mediators in the Ovary of Rat with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Background and Aims: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine and metabolic disease in females of reproductive age and is a significant infertility cause. Inflammation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. The present study evaluated whether sitagliptin, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, attenuates inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin(IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in a rat model of PCOS. Materials and Methods: Twenty-two female adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, PCOS model, PCOS+sitagliptin (25 mg/kg), and PCOS+sitagliptin (50 mg/kg). PCOS was induced by injection of estradiol valerate, intraperitoneally. Sitagliptin was gavaged daily for 30 days to both groups of animals. After the treatment period, blood and ovaries tissue were collected to analyze inflammatory parameters. Results: The mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TGF-β, and TNF-α in the PCOS model group were markedly elevated compared with the control group (p<0.01). These parameters' mRNA levels were reduced in the sitagliptin treatment groups compared with the PCOS group (p<0.01). Also, the serum concentration of CRP in the PCOS group was more than the control. This increase significantly decreased in groups treated with sitagliptin compared with the PCOS group. Conclusion: The presented study suggested that the protective effects of sitagliptin on PCOS may be due to its inhibitory effect on expression and inflammatory markers' levels.