Short-Chain Fatty Acids Ameliorates Lipid Profile, Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Letrozole Induced Polycystic...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common metabolic-reproductive disorders affecting reproductive-age women, causing an irregular menstrual cycle, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovarian morphology. Current therapies for PCOS focus on the management of symptoms. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play a significant role in PCOS by influencing the gut microbiota composition and metabolic pathways. The impact of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress parameters in the PCOS model remains unclear. The present study aimed to elucidate the effect of SCFA on lipid profile, oxidative stress parameters, and inflammation in a high-fat diet-fed letrozole-induced PCOS model. 48 Female albino Wistar rats were randomised to 8 group (n = 6). The groups were treated with letrozole to induce PCOS and then treated with sodium acetate (SA), sodium propionate (SP), sodium butyrate (SB), and SCFA (3:1:1) mixture. This study observed a significant distortion in lipid profile, oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory markers. Our data showed, PCOS model showed elevated levels of triglycerides and very-low-density lipoprotein, which were significantly ameliorated when treated with SCFA (3:1:1), SA, SP, and SB. SP, SB, and SCFA (3:1:1) significantly lowered total cholesterol, while only SB and SCFA (3:1:1) significantly lowered low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Elevated high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was observed in the SA, SB, and SCFA (3:1:1) treated group. The malondialdehyde level was lowered in the SCFA-treated groups, whereas the total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione level was elevated. Our data showed a significant reduction in IL-6, IL-1β levels in the PCOS-induced group treated with SA, SP, SB, and SCFA (3:1:1). The findings of the present study suggest that short-chain fatty acids restructure dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammation in a PCOS-induced model, highlighting their possible role as therapeutic dietary supplements in alleviating PCOS.