Abstract:

Background and Aim: Lithium is an element that is used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Lithium via glycogen synthase kinase3&beta (GSK3&beta) has a negative effect on the ovulation and corpus luteum formation. GSK3&beta has an important role in several signaling pathway. Recent evidence has shown that this signaling pathway is involved in follicle development, ovulation and corpus luteum formation. Lithium works as a GSK3&beta inhibitor. Thus, in this study we investigated the effect of LiCl on the ovulation, angiogenesis and corpus luteum formation in Wistar rat.

Materials and Methods: Immature 23-day old female rats were injected with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (15 IU) to induce follicular development followed 48h later by hCG (15 IU) to induce ovulation. 250 mg/kg LiCl were administrated at the time of hCG injection to the experimental group (N=15). Also, physiological serum instead LiCl were injected to control group (N=15) at the same time. The ovaries were removed at 24 h after LiCl treatment and fixed by Bowen and prepared for histological studies. The results were analyzed by t-test.

Results: Our results show that there are no significant different between ovulation in LiCl treatment rats compared with control group. The numbers of corpus luteum blood vessel were decreased (p<0.05) in experimental group (10.5±5.5) in comparison with control group (37.5±22.5).

Conclusion: These finding shows that LiCl does not inhibit ovulation but it disrupts blood vessel formation in the corpus luteum.