Authors : K Muthuselvi, T Meena
DOI : 10.18231/j.ijcap.2019.043
Volume : 6
Issue : 2
Year : 2019
Page No : 190-192
Introduction: Stress is a physical, mental or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and it is the word often uttered every now and then, even by offsprings nowadays. It has its ill effects, affecting each and every organ system. The present study is done to evaluate the effect of stress on fertility in albino rats.
Aim: To study the effect of stress on fertility in albino rats.
Materials and Methods: 12 Albino rats were chosen for study, 4 males and 8 female albino rats. Out of 4 males 2 were kept as controls and 2 subjected to study and among 8 female rats, 4 were kept as controls and 4 subjected to experiment. All the 12 rates were 5-8 months of age and 160–180gms in weight. Reproductive utility of both male and female rats were confirmed and any other reproductive pathology has been ruled out before subjecting them for study. Experimental rats were subjected to immobilization stress by keeping them in a closed transparent jar with 8 holes in it for aeration, 5 hours/ day for 45 days. The control rats were kept in 12 hours light dark cycles, 20 +/- 2 degree C temperature and 60–65% humidity with food and water ad libitum. At the end of 45 days the male and female rates were allowed to mate in the ratio of 1: 2 in separate cages. The litters produced by the controls and experimental group of rats were tabulated.
Results: There is drastic reduction in the no. of litters produced by the rats subjected to immobilization stress when compared with the unstressed controls, with significant ‘P’ value.
Conclusion: It is clearly evident from the present study that there is a significant negative correlation between stress & fertility in albino rats. Berga and her colleagues studied women who had stopped ovulating for more than six months and found that they had high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Aug 27, 2010
Keywords: Stress, Fertility, Immobilization stress, Albino rats.