Effect of quercetin on steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis in ovary of mice with experimentally-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Introduction: Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects the health of many women around theworld. Apart from fundamental metabolic problems connected to PCOS, focus of our study is on the role of quercetin on genes relevant to steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis. Methods: Eighteen mature parkes strain mice (4-5 weeks old) weighing18-21 g were randomly divided into three groups of six each as follows: Group I serves as the control and was given water and a regular chow diet ad lib for 66 days; group II was given oral gavage administration of letrozole (LETZ) (6 mg/kgbw) for 21 days to induce PCOS and was left untreated for 45 days; For three weeks, Group III received oral gavage dose of LETZ (6 mg/kg), after which it received Quercetin (QUER) (125 mg/kg bw orally daily) for 45 days. Results: In our study we observed that mice with PCOS had irregular estrous cycle with increased LH/FSH ratio, decreased estrogen level and decline in expression of Kitl, Bmp1, Cyp11a1, Cyp19a1, Ar, lhr, Fshr and Esr1 in ovary. Moreover, we observed increase in the expression of CYP17a1, as well as increase in cholesterol, triglycerides, testosterone, vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF and insulin levels. All these changes were reversed after the administration of quercetin in PCOS mice. Discussion: Quercetin treatment reversed the molecular, functional and morphological abnormalities brought on due to letrozole in pathological and physiological setting, particularly the issues of reproduction connected to PCOS. Quercetin doesn't act locally only but it acts systematically as it works on Pituitary (LH/FSH)- Ovary (gonad hormones) axis. the Side effects of Quercetin have to be targeted in future researches. Quercetin may act as a promising candidate for medical management of human PCOS.

Prevalence and organwise distribution of sarcocystiosis in buffaloes of Mohali, Punjab.

The study was carried at Mirha Exports private limited at Mohali, Punjab, from December 2012 to May 2013 during which 1000 buffaloes of 2-3 years of age slaughtered for meat purposes were screened for the Sarcocystis species. Most of the animals examined at anti-mortem appeared normal and clinically healthy. However, at slaughtering, the gross and microscopic examination of representative samples of striated muscles collected from slaughtered buffaloes revealed 95.50 % prevalence of Sarcocystis species. Out of 1000 samples examined, 955 samples (95.55 %) were infected with microscopic cysts with size ranging from 19.1 to 95.9 × 10.2 to 68.9 µm cyst, while 6 samples (0.60 %) had mixed infection with macroscopic cyst with size ranging from 1270 to 19,000 × 700 to 7000 µm cyst of white or creamy colour and microscopic cysts. Among the muscles infected with cysts, highest number of cysts were recorded in tongue muscles (87.40 %) followed by oesophageal muscles (83.60 %), cardiac muscles (53 %) and diaphragmatic muscles (31.30 %).