Effect of acute and chronic pain on reproductive functions in female rats

ABSTRACT

In this work, 30 adult female rats were used to study the effect of acute and chronic pain on the reproductive functions. Rats were divided into three equal groups, i.e. control group, acute pain group [exposed to pain once for one hour] and chronic pain group [exposed to pain one hour daily for two weeks]. In each group, gonadotropines and sex hormones were measured .The uterus and ovaries of each group were examined microscopically for histopathological changes. The results showed that acute pain led to an increase in gonadotropines and sex hormones levels as well as histological changes in the uterus [some dilatation in the uterine lumen, decreased uterine vascularity and increased polymorph-nuclear leucocytes [PNL] infiltration and stromal cellularity] and the ovaries [increased number and viability of corpora lutea] The chronic pain led to an increase in FSH, and decrease in LH and sex hormones with, histological changes in the uterus [dilated uterine lumen with increased vascularity, PNL infiltration and stromal cellularity] and the ovary [viable corpora lutea disappeared and only regressive ones were found]. The results of this study showed that pain as a physiological stressor has negative effects on reproductive functions as it causes disturbances in the harmony of gonadotropines and sex hormones and their effects on target tissues