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. 2014 Jun 6;9(6):e99155.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099155. eCollection 2014.

The characterization of obese polycystic ovary syndrome rat model suitable for exercise intervention

Chuyan Wu  1 , Feng Lin  1 , Shuwei Qiu  1 , Zhongli Jiang  1
Affiliations

The characterization of obese polycystic ovary syndrome rat model suitable for exercise intervention

Chuyan Wu et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objective: To develop a new polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) rat model suitable for exercise intervention.

Method: Thirty six rats were randomly divided into three experimental groups: PCOS rats with high-fat diet (PF, n = 24), PCOS rats with ordinary diet (PO, n = 6), and control rats with ordinary diet (CO, n = 6). Two kinds of PCOS rat model were made by adjustment diet structure and testosterone injection for 28 days. After a successful animal model, PF model rats were randomly assigned to three groups: exercise with a continuation of high-fat diet (PF-EF, n = 6), sedentary with a continuation of high-fat diet (PF-SF, n = 6), exercise with an ordinary diet (PF-EO, n = 6). Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and insulin (FINS), estrogen (E2), progesterone (P), and testosterone (T) in serum were determined by RIA, and ovarian morphology was evaluated by Image-Pro plus 6.0.

Results: Body weight, Lee index, FINS increased significantly in PF rat model. Serum levels of E2 and T were significantly higher in PF and PO than in CO. Ovary organ index and ovarian areas were significant lower in PF than in CO. After intervention for 2 weeks, the levels of 1 h postprandial blood glucose (PBG1), 2 h postprandial blood glucose (PBG2), FINS and the serum levels of T decreased significantly in PF-EF rats and PF-EO rats. The ratio of FBG/FINS was significant higher in PF-EO rats than in PF-SF rats. Ovarian morphology showed that the numbers of preantral follicles and atretic follicles decreased significantly, and the numbers of antral follicles and corpora lutea increased significantly in the rats of PF-EF and PF-EO.

Conclusion: By combination of high-fat diet and testosterone injection, the obese PCOS rat model is conformable with the lifestyle habits of fatty foods and insufficient exercise, and has metabolic and reproductive characteristics of human PCOS. This model can be applied to study exercise intervention.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The experiment protocol.
O: ordinary diet; F: high fat diet; T: testosterone propionate; CO: control group with ordinary diet; PO: PCOS model with ordinary diet; PF: PCOS model with high-fat diet; S: no exercise; E: exercise; PF-SF: sedentary with high-fat diet in PF rats; PF-EF: exercise with high-fat diet in PF rats; PF-EO: exercise with ordinary diet in PF rats.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Figures and cell types of vaginal smears.
A: preoestrus, loaded mainly with epithelial cell; B: estrus, loaded mainly with keratinocytes; C:metoestrus,displaying epithelial cell, keratinocytes, and leukocytes; D:diestrus, displaying full of leukocytes (magnification ×100).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Ovarian morphology of rats from three groups (×100).
A: PF. A lot of preantral follicles (P) and atretic follicles (AF) with enlargement of stroma (arrow) and cystic follicles (C) are shown in the section. B: PO. A lot of preantral follicles (P), atretic follicles (AF) and cystic follicles(C) are shown in the section. C: CO. Various stages of development follicles and some corpora lutea (CL) are shown. D: PF-SF. A lot of preantral follicles (P) and atretic follicles (AF), and cystic follicles(C) are shown in the section. E: PF-EF. A lot of antral follicles (A) and a bit of corpora lutea (CL) are shown in the section. F: PF-EO. A lot of antral follicles (A) and a bit of corpora lutea (CL) are shown in the section.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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