title: Amygdala Kindling Alters Estrus Cycle and Ovarian Morphology in the Rat.
abstract: The objective of this study is to explore the effects of amygdala kindling on estrus cycle and ovarian morphology. Thirty-five female rats at the age of 8 weeks were randomly designated to electrode kindled, sham-kindled, and normal controls. Kindled rats were implanted with kindling electrodes in the left basolateral amygdala and kindled by brief suprathreshold stimulations with a bipolar electrode. Estrous cycles were daily monitored through vaginal smears. Electrographic and behavioral seizures were recorded and ovarian morphology was evaluated by light and electron microscopies. Our results showed that the kindled rats lost their ovarian periodicity displayed significant ovarian enlargement. H&E staining revealed increased number of growing follicles and total follicles, as well as polycysts in the ovaries of the kindled animals compared to sham and control animals. Ultrastructural study detected numerous apoptotic granulosa cells in growing follicles and thecal cell hyperplasia with secretary granules in the thecal cells in the kindled rats. The results suggest that amygdala kindling is a risk factor for the development of polycystic ovary syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China, 75004 ; Department of Gynecology, Changqing Oil Field Worker's Hospital, Xi'an, China 710201.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China, 75004.
authors.forename: Lingwu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Ningxia Key laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China, 75004 ; Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China, 75004.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China, 75004.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute Biotechnology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA.
authors.forename: P Andy
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Ningxia Key laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China, 75004 ; Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China, 75004.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
keywords: amygdala kindling; endocrinology; epileptogensis; estrus cycle; ovarian morphology; polycystic ovary syndrome; reproductive system