title: Ovarian Toxicity in Female Rats after Oral Administration of Melamine or Melamine and Cyanuric Acid.
abstract: Although the toxicity of melamine to the kidneys and testes is well known, few studies have investigated the effects of melamine on female reproductive organs. Therefore, this study explores the effects of oral administration melamine or melamine and cyanuric acid for 28 days on the ovaries of female rats. Rats that were exposed to the mixture exhibited reduced ovarian and uterine weights, a shorter estrous cycle, and reduced serum estrogen and progesterone levels compared to rats that were exposed to melamine and control rats. Furthermore, morphological analysis revealed pathological changes in the ovaries of rats exposed to melamine or the mixture, such as more atretic follicles and necrosis of oocytes and granulosa cells. TUNEL staining revealed that the exposed groups had a higher proportion of TUNEL-positive granulosa cells than the control group, and the mRNA expressions of SOD1, GPX1, GPX2, P450scc, 17β-HSD I, and 17β-HSD II were reduced in the exposure groups compared with the control group. These results indicated that exposure to melamine alone or to the melamine-cyanuric acid mixture could damage the ovaries in rats.
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Jiarui
authors: J
authors: Sun
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Xinchen
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Yinan
authors: Y
authors: Cao
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Qiling
authors: Q
authors: Zhao
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Endong
authors: E
authors: Bao
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Yingjun
authors: Y
authors: Lv
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014227:Triazines / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014227:Triazines; D011374:Progesterone; C004632:cyanuric acid; C011907:melamine