Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the effects of the nutraceuticals omega-6/3 and omega-9/6 on endometriosis-associated infertility and pain.
Methods:
Controlled experimental study, with each group composed of eight female rats. Fertility groups: sham-operated control (0.9% saline solution); control with endometriosis (0.9% saline); omega-6/3 (1.2 g/kg/day); omega-9/6 (1.2 g/kg/day); and meloxicam (0.8 mg/kg/day). Pain groups: sham-operated control (0.9% saline); control with endometriosis (0.9% saline); omega-6/3 (1.2 g/kg/day); omega-9/6 (1.2 g/kg/day); medroxyprogesterone acetate (5 mg/kg/every 3 days); and meloxicam (0.8 mg/kg/day). Peritoneal endometriosis was surgically induced. Pain was evaluated with the writhing test. Fertility was evaluated by counting the number of embryos in the left hemi-uterus.
Results:
The mean number of writhings was as follows: sham-operated, 11.1 ± 2.9; control with endometriosis, 49.3 ± 4.4; omega-6/3, 31.5 ± 2.7; omega-9/6, 34.1 ± 4.5; medroxyprogesterone acetate, 2.1 ± 0.8; meloxicam, 1 ± 0.3. There was a significant difference between both controls and all drugs used for treatment. Regarding fertility, the mean values were as follows: sham-operated, 6.8 ± 0.6; control with endometriosis, 4.2 ± 0.7; omega-6/3, 4.7 ± 1; omega-9/6, 3.8 ± 0.9; and meloxicam, 1.8 ± 0.9.
Conclusions:
The omega-6/3 and omega-9/6 nutraceuticals decreased pain compared to the controls. There was no improvement in fertility in any of the tested groups.
Key words:
Endometriosis; Dietary Supplements; Fertility; Pain; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Rats
Legend: ENDO: group with endometriosis; groups of rats subjected to the writhings test (0.6% acetic acid; 10 mL/kg ip). Sham-operated group: not treated; ENDO group: with endometriosis and not treated; and ENDO + ω-9/6 group (1.2 g/kg/day; vo), ENDO + medroxyprogesterone acetate group (5 mg/kg/3 days sc) and ENDO + meloxicam group (0.8 mg/kg/day). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test indicated an approximately normal distribution for all variables. Due to the high heterogeneity of variances, two parametric tests were performed, according to Levene’s homogeneity test: one-way ANOVA or the Brown-Forsythe test.
Legend: ENDO: group with endometriosis; groups of rats subjected to the writhings test (0.6% acetic acid; 10 mL/kg ip). Sham-operated group: not treated; ENDO group: with endometriosis and not treated; and ENDO + ω-9/6 group (1.2 g/kg/day; vo), ENDO + medroxyprogesterone acetate group (5 mg/kg/3 days sc) and ENDO + meloxicam group (0.8 mg/kg/day). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test indicated an approximately normal distribution for all variables. Due to the high heterogeneity of variances, two parametric tests were performed, according to Levene’s homogeneity test: one-way ANOVA or the Brown-Forsythe test.
Legend: ENDO: group with endometriosis; evaluation of fertility in sham-operated rats: not treated; ENDO group: not treated; ENDO + ω-6/3 group (1.2 g/kg/day vo); ENDO + ω-9/6 group (1.2 g/kg/day vo); ENDO + meloxicam group (0.8 mg/kg/day vo). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test indicated an approximately normal distribution for all variables. Due to the high heterogeneity of variances, two parametric tests were performed, according to Levene’s homogeneity test: one-way ANOVA or the Brown-Forsythe test.