Resveratrol Is Not as Effective as Physical Exercise for Improving Reproductive and Metabolic Functions in Rats with Dihydrotestosterone-Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

• Published in: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine 2013-01, Vol.2013 (2013), p.1-13
• Main Authors: Benrick, Anna, Maliqueo, Manuel, Miao, Sun, Villanueva, Jesus A., Feng, Yi, Ohlsson, Claes, Duleba, Antoni J., Stener-Victorin, Elisabet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adipocyte; Adipocytes; Adipose tissue; Clinical Medicine; Diabetes mellitus; diet; Dihydrotestosterone; Estrogens; Estrus; Exercise; fat; Gene expression; Glucose; in-vitro; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Kinases; Klinisk medicin; low-frequency electroacupuncture; Metabolic disorders; Obesity; Ovaries; Physical exercise; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Rats; Resveratrol; Rodents; Sensitivity; size; skeletal-muscle; sympathetic-nerve activity; theca-interstitial cells; women
• ISSN: 1741-427X; 1741-4288
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/964070

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive and metabolic disorder associated with obesity and insulin resistance that often precedes the development of type-2 diabetes. Rats continuously exposed to dihydrotestosterone from prepuberty display typical reproductive and metabolic PCOS characteristics including anovulation, polycystic ovaries, insulin resistance, and obesity. Our aim was to investigate if resveratrol improves reproductive and metabolic functions in PCOS rats. The effect was compared to exercise. Control and PCOS rats were treated with vehicle or resveratrol (400 mg · kg−1 · day−1) for 5-6 weeks. Another group of PCOS rats received vehicle treatment and exercised for 5-6 weeks. Insulin sensitivity was determined by euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. The glucose infusion rate was lower in the PCOS-vehicle group compared to control-vehicle rats (P