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The Reproductive Status of Rats (Rattus rattus) and Goats (Capra hircus) Treated with Acetylsalicylic Acid (aspirin)
Thesis Abstract:
This two-part study was conducted to determine the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) on the reproductive status of rats and goats. Study 1 used 36 mature rats, of which 16 were used to determine the effect of aspirin on the length of estrous cycle, number of newborn, weight of ovaries, and number of corpora lutea. These rats were divided into four groups and given the following aspirin dosages: 0 mg, 75 mg, 150 mg, and 225 mg, respectively. The remaining 20 rats were used to determine the effect of aspirin on fertility. In study II, 12 mature female goats were used. They were randomly assigned to four treatment gro ups and given aspirin at dosages of 0 gm, 10 gm, 20 gm, and 30 gm, respectively.
Results indicated a significant positive linear relationship between dosage and length of the estrous cycle in rats. Fertility was decreased by 40 percent in animals dosed with 75 mg aspirin. At higher dosages (150 and 225 mg), fertility was completely reduced to zero. The weight of ovaries and the number of corpora Iutea were likewise reduced. The reduction was linear for the ovarian weight and quadratic for the number of corpora lutea observed.
Results of the goat experiment showed that the weights of the ovaries and the number of corpora lutea decreased as the dosage of aspirin increased. The decrease was linear for the corpora lutea and quadratic for the ovarian weight. The number of atretic follicles increased although the difference was not significant.
Blood progesterone concentrat ion was low (mean value of 0.36 ± 0.24 ng/mL) at estrus time; it increased and reached a peak (mean value of 5.56 ± 0.37 ng/mL) at luteal phase, and decreased (mean value of 0.89 ± 0.61 ng/mL) from day 2 onward until the end of the estrous cycle. The length of estrous cycle was not affected by prolonged aspirin administration in goats, with 19.17 ± 0. 72 days in the control animals and 20.17 ± 0. 99 days in animals dosed with 10 gm aspirin. Animals dosed with 20 and 30 gm aspirin exhibited about the same length of estrous cycle as the animals dosed with 10 gm aspirin. The length of estrous cycle in these animals was still within the normal values (mean value of 20.33 ± 0.28 and 21.33 ± 0.73 days in the 20 and 30 gm dosages, respectively).
Results also showed that the vaginal smear method can be used as a tool for heat detection in goats.