Pouya Pournaghi - Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Rajab-Ali Sadrkhanlou - Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Shapour Hasanzadeh - Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Azadeh Foroughi - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

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, ۳۶ adult Sprague-Dawley female rats (۱۷۰-۲۱۰ g) were divided into ۳ groups (control, diabetic and diabetic-treated by metformin). In second and third groups, diabetes was induced by streptozotocin injection (۴۵ mg kg-۱, IP) and the third group was treated by metformin hydrochloride (۱۰۰ mg kg-۱ day-۱, PO) for ۸ weeks. Body weights were compared and blood glucose, gonadotropins and sexual hormones were measured. In diabetic group the blood glucose level significantly (P < ۰.۰۵) 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 < ۰.۰۵) reduced in comparison with the control. Although there were significant (P < ۰.۰۵) 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 < ۰.۰۵) 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.

Diabetes, Metformin, Body weight, Hormone, Rat