title: Diltiazem prevention of toxic effects of monosodium glutamate on ovaries in rats.
abstract: The female reproductive system is very sensitive to different harmful environmental factors. A great danger is hidden in an increased use of food additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG). Numerous studies have shown that application of high doses of MSG to different kinds of animals during the neonatal period may cause lesions of neural structures and the retina. Later in adulthood animals exhibit a series of neuroendocrine disorders: a stunted growth, obesity and infertility. The mechanism of MSG action is not well explained yet. We hypothesized that high concentration of MSG could alter permeability of neural membrane for calcium. We studied whether pretreatment with diltiazem prevented the effects of MSG on ovaries in rats. Female rat pups were treated with: 0.9% NaCl, MSG, diltiazem or diltiazem with MSG. MSG treatment resulted in a cystic degeneration of ovaries and irregular and prolonged estrus phase of estrus cycle. The other treated groups of rats had normal ovarian histology and estrus cycle. The pretreatment with diltiazem prevented development of morphological and functional disorders of ovaries. Our results suggest that calcium overloading play an important role in mechanisms of MSG toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bul. Dr. Z. Djindjića 81, 18000 Nis, Serbia. vladmilab@gmail.com
authors.forename: Vladmila
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bojanić
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bojanić
authors.forename: Stevo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Najman
authors.forename: Todorka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Savić
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jakovljević
authors.forename: Stasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Najman
authors.forename: Snezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jancić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D004110:Diltiazem; D012970:Sodium Glutamate