Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinometabolic disorder affecting women of reproductive age, and is often characterized by hormonal imbalances, irregular menstrual cycles, and infertility. Hypothalamic amenorrhea has been documented as frequent manifestation of PCOS and is attributed to the cessation of menstruation due to disruptions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Beneficial microorganisms, Probiotics, are well known known for improving metabolic health, and have shown promise in restoring hormonal balance as well as enhancing fertility. In this study, we hypothesize that probiotics would ameliorate hypothalamic amenorrhea by modulating hypothalamic kisspeptin and reducing inflammation in a rat model of PCOS.

Methods: Eight (8)-week-old female Wistar rats were grouped into four with n = 5. Letrozole administration (1 mg/kg, p.o.) for 3 weeks induced PCOS, thereafter the animals were treated with probiotics (2 x 10⁷ CFU, p.o.) for six weeks, while control animals received distilled water.

Results: The present findings revealed that PCOS animals were characterized by impaired insulin sensitivity, hyperinsulinemia, ovarian dysfunction with evidence of disrupted steroid hormone levels (testosterone/17β-Estradiol) and cystic follicles as well as hypothalamic lipid accumulation, elevated inflammatory markers (NF-kB/TNF-α) and antioxidant depletion (GSH/NrF2), which are accompanied by decreased level of kisspeptin. Nonetheless, administration of probiotics reversed these pathological alterations by enhancement of hypothalamic kisspeptin and suppression of inflammatory response.

Conclusions: Altogether, the present results demonstrated that probiotics significantly ameliorated hypothalamic amenorrhea by mitigating hypothalamic lipid accumulation, suppressed inflammation, and replenished antioxidants. Crucially, probiotics enhanced hypothalamic kisspeptin levels, a key regulator of reproductive function, highlighting their potential as a therapeutic strategy for restoring ovarian function in PCOS.

Keywords: Amenorrhea; hypothalamus; inflammation; Kisspeptin; PCOS; Probiotics.