Background: Vitamin E is well known for its antioxidant property and has potential role in treatment of infertility. Fluoxetine is an antidepressant from SSRI group having effect on reproductive organs by increasing oxidative stress.
Aim: To explore the role of vitamin E on uterine myometrium after treatment with fluoxetine
Methods: 8-12 weeks old female rats albino of wistar strain (n=10) were divided into three groups Group A (control), group B (experimental) and group C (protective) and were treated with distilled water, oral fluoxetine (80mg/kg) and oral fluoxetine along with vitamin E simultaneously (80mg/kg and 250mg/kg) respectively for 15 days. Gross and histological examination of uterine horns of all rats along with measurement of serum prolactin level was done on 15th day. Mean±SD, One-way ANOVA and fisher exact test was applied to analyze data
Results: Weight, volume of uterus, utero-somatic index, serum prolactin level and myometrial thickness was significantly increased (P value=0.001) along with prescence of adenomyosis in experimental group B which was given fluoxetine alone. however its was observed that in group C which was given vitamin E along with fluoxetine, ameliorated these changes and results were comparable with control group A.
Conclusion: Vitamin E has a role in protection of reproductive organs owing to its antioxidant properties when administered along with fluoxetine which produces oxidative stress related changes serum prolactin levels and uterine myometrium.
Female reproductive organs have a delicate relationship with hormonal levels. Savaskan et al., 2007 observed fluoxetine use related oxidative stress and commented on its role in alteration of histological structure of reproductive organs. Jan et al., 2008 reported hormonal imbalance in rats upon treated with fluoxetine. Mori et al., 1999 observed changes in ultra-structure of uterus caused by increase in serum prolactin levels.
The animals of group C when treated simultaneously with fluoxetine along with vitamin E, showed normal thickness and histological architecture of myometrium which is similar to findings in animals of control group A. Vitamin E has been reported to ameliorate the hormonal changes inflicted by raised level of oxidative stress in body (Yin et al., 2012) .A study done by Jalili et al. 2014 supports the observations made in current study on protective ability of vitamin E in reproductive organs because of its antioxidant properties.
