Intra assay and inter assay mean were less than 5%. Statistical Analysis The data were analyzed through the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The statistical Fulvestrant in vivo analyses were done using the SPSS statistical software (version 15). Results

The descriptive statistics of the cortical, medullary, and total volumes Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of the rats’ ovaries as well as the number density and total number of the primordial follicles are depicted in table 1. The results showed that the low and high doses of ND decreased the cortical and total volumes of the ovaries significantly (P=0), while the ovarian cortex and the total volume of the ovary were increased significantly in the rats that received hMG in combination with ND (P=0).

ND did not have any effect on the medullary volume, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical but the volume of the cortex and medulla in the low-dose hMG-treated animals increased compared to the high-dose hMG-treated group; the difference, however, did not constitute statistical significance. Table 1 Mean value and standard deviation (SD) of the cortical, medullary, and total ovary volumes and the mean value and SD of the number density of the ovarian primordial follicles treated with a low-dose of ND and high-dose of ND, alone or with hMG and vehicle … The total number and number density of the primordial follicles were decreased significantly by ND (P=0), while they were increased Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in the animals that received a combination of low-dose ND and hMG. In addition, in the high-dose hMG-treated group, the number density and total number of the primordial follicles decreased compared to the low-dose hMG-treated group (table 1). Hormonal Assay ND administration led to a significant decrease Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in the levels of gonadotropins and sex hormones in the blood. As is summarized in table 2, there was a significant decrease

in the levels of FSH (P=0.014)LH (P=0.014) estrogen (P=0), and progesterone (P≤0.001) in the low-dose ND-treated group and there was a significant decrease in the levels of FSH (P=0), LH (P=0), estrogen (P=0), and progesterone (P=0) in the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical high-dose ND-treated group. crotamiton Table 2 Mean value and standard deviation (SD) of FSH, LH, estrogen, and progesterone levels (ng/mL) in the sera of the rats treated with low and high doses of ND, alone or with hMG, and vehicle groups There was a significant decrease in the levels of FSH, LH, estrogen, and progesterone in the low-dose hMG-treated group (P=0.037) and the high-dose hMG-treated group (P=0.022). The hormone levels were not affected by hMG administration compared to the low- and high-dose ND-treated groups. Discussion Ovarian follicles play an important role in the female reproductive biology. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates the release of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary gland, and these hormones will later have a stimulatory effect on follicle growth.