Lowering blood sugar levels can partially restore reproductive hormone levels in obese women, leading to increased fertility, according to the findings of a new study published in the ‘Journal of Endocrinology’. According to the findings, a standard type 2 diabetes drug that lowers blood glucose levels can partially restore altered levels of reproductive hormones in a well-established mouse model of obesity. Many obese women who have fertility problems also have abnormal amounts of reproductive hormones. There is currently no effective treatment for this.
The development of a drug that improves women’s metabolic health while treating obesity-related infertility would be a major step forward with the potential to improve the quality of life for many. despite the fact that fertility The problems among obese women are well known, there is a lack of effective and tailored treatments to address them. Obesity is a major health epidemic, and more women are facing fertility problems as a result.
Obesity-related fertility concerns are complex, but data suggests they may be linked to changes in energy metabolism, which can lead to changes in reproductive hormone levels, which can disrupt the menstrual cycle and ovulation. . Obese people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and they often have high blood sugar levels as well as other metabolic abnormalities.
The MC4R gene knock-out (KO) mouse is a well-characterized model of obesity, which exhibits irregular reproductive cycles with altered hormone levels leading to a decline in fertility. The mouse reproductive cycle is similar to that of humans, with a similar profile of changes in hormone level, although it is much shorter in duration, so the MC4R KO mouse is a good, representative model for the initial investigation of metabolism and reproductive function. obesity.
Dapagliflozin is a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, where it lowers blood glucose levels and improves other markers of metabolic health, but its effects on reproductive health and fertility are yet to be investigated. Is.
Professor Chen from the University of Queensland in Australia and colleagues looked at the effect of the drug dapagliflozin on metabolic health and reproductive hormone levels in MC4R mice models of obesity in this study. Compared to untreated rats, after only 8 weeks of treatment, blood glucose levels were normal, body weight was reduced, the reproductive cycle was normalized, and levels of reproductive hormones and ovulation were partially controlled. was corrected.
“We often see low fertility in obese women in clinical practice”, comments the primary author, Dr. Cui, a visiting fellow at Chengdu Women’s and Children’s Hospital in China, “so this research will be of future, offers hope for effective treatment.” Professor Chen comments, “These data suggest that normalization of blood glucose metabolism with dapagliflozin in obesity may be a promising route to at least partially restore reproductive function. It may improve fertility in those women who are obese.” where no other successful therapy is currently available.”
However, Professor Chen cautions, “Although encouraging, these studies were conducted in rats and more work is needed to confirm that these findings can be replicated effectively in females. However, Obese people have a higher risk of developing type 2. Diabetes, so the known health benefits of correcting blood sugar levels may be extended to improving fertility in those affected.” The team now intends to investigate the therapeutic benefits of using dapagliflozin to improve reproductive function by examining the molecular pathways involved, which may identify better targets for future fertility treatments in women.
(with ANI inputs)