Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of antihypertensive drugs on reproductive function in Rattus norvegicus and demonstrate the potential role of oxidative stress in reproductive dysfunction. Rattus norvegicus were selected as the experimental animals and divided into the following groups: healthy (control group), clonidine (CL), rilmenidine (RLD), methyldopa (MTL), amlodipine (ALD), and ramipril (RML). Each individual in each group was marked from one to six. Doses of clonidine (0.075 mg/kg), rilmenidine (0.5 mg/kg), methyldopa (100 mg/kg), amlodipine (2 mg/kg), and ramipril (2 mg/kg) were administered orally via gavage to each Rattus norvegicus. Using blood obtained from Rattus norvegicus, the absorbance of the pink-colored complex formed by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured spectrophotometrically at the 532 nm wavelength. Blood samples were collected from the tail veins to analyze serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and total glutathione levels in the serum of all Rattus norvegicus. After sampling, two mature male Rattus norvegicus were introduced to every group of six female Rattus norvegicus and accommodated in a controlled laboratory environment for two months. Any female Rattus norvegicus that became pregnant during this time was transferred to a solitary cage within a controlled setting. Rattus norvegicus that did not become pregnant and did not give birth during this period were considered infertile. The results were compared among the groups. Total glutathione (tGSH) levels were determined using a spectrophotometer. According to our study, the increase in MDA levels observed was not statistically significant in the CL and RLD groups compared to that in the control group. MDA levels were significantly increased in the methyldopa, amlodipine, and RML groups. While total glutathione levels in the CL group were similar to those in the control group, the RLD, MTL, ALD, and RML groups showed a statistically significant decrease. While the animals in the CL and RLD groups were not infertile, infertility was apparent in the groups treated with MTL, ALD, and RML. Thus, it was determined that the antihypertensive drugs MTL, ALD, and RML had different effects on fertility, and that the use of such drugs could cause infertility by increasing oxidative stress and decreasing antioxidant levels.