Study of antioxidant effect of selenium on female rats treated with contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy

ABSTRACT

Selenium is an essential trace mineral in the human body. it is an important part of antioxidant enzymes [Glutathione peroxidase] that protects cells against the effect of free radicals. Contraceptives are capable of inhibiting ovulation and successfully control fertility. Estrogen replacement therapy [ERT] is a wide spread treatment in postmenopausal women to alleviate climatic complaints. It has also been applied in the prevention of osteoporosis. The present study aims to follow-up antioxidant enzymes status of normal adult and ovariectomized female albino rats treated with contraceptive. Selenium was orally administered in therapeutic dose of 50 micro g/kg.b.wt/day, oral contraceptives [estrogen 0.54 and progesterone 2.7 micro g/kg.b.wt/day] and intramuscular injection of ERT 90 micro g/kg.b.wt/day for 30 days. Repeated medication with selenium caused very highly significant increase in super-oxide dismutase [SOD], reduced glutathione [GSH], glutathione reductase [GSH-R], glutathione S-transferase [GST] and glutathione peroxidase [GSH-PX] and decline in lipid peroxidation [LPO]. Contraceptives and ERT caused significant reduction in SOD, GSH, GSH-R, GST, GSH-PX and significant increase in LPO. When selenium was administered with contraceptive or with ERT, a slight increase was noticed in the different antioxidant parameters studied except for LPO which recorded a significant decrease.