الفهرس 
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Abstract
One of the most well-known endocrinopathies in females in the period of reproduction is the Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is activated by the long-acting steroid, estradiol valerate (EV) that leads it to appear quickly due to metabolic and physiological abnormalities. It has been found that oxidative stress may lead to PCOS. Among the natural antioxidant products, pomegranate molasses (PM) is widely used.
The purpose of the present study was to shed light on the possible protection of PM on EV induced PCOS in female adult albino rats. These changes were documented by histological and immunohistochemical studies.
The present study was carried out on forty normally cyclic female adult albino rats. The rats were randomly categorized into four equal groups (ten rats for each group); group I: control group, group II: received pomegranate molasses (PM) in a daily dose of 0.5ml dissolved in 0.5ml distilled water orally, group III: received estradiol valerate (EV) as a single intramuscular injection at a dose of 4 mg EV dissolved in distilled water and group IV: received EV as in group III in addition to PM as in group II.
At the end of the study (6 weeks), cytological analysis of the vaginal smear for rats in all groups was performed to evaluate the state of the estrus cycle and then all animals were sacrificed, and their ovaries were excised. The ovaries fixed in the 10% neutral formalin for proceeding the paraffin sections. Then the sections were stained by the heamatoxlyin and eosin stains for histological study as well as the Masson’s trichrome stain. Also, the sections were proceeded for the immunohistochemical study of the iNOS to evaluate the oxidative damage. Image analysis study was done for measuring the count of the different ovarian follicles, thickness of tunica albuginea and theca externa, image optical density of collagen staining with the trichrome stain in tunica albuginea and theca externa, count of iNOS immunoreactive positive granulosa, theca and interstitial cells and image optical density of iNOS immunohistochemical staining in these positive cells.
group I and group II showed 4-5 days regular estrous cycles consisting of 4 stages which were proestrus, estrus, metestrus and diestrus. group III showed irregular cycles or constant cycles in estrus phase (Persistent Vaginal Cornification, PVC) which were considered as signs of PCO. While group IV showed relatively regular cycles.
group II showed better histological structure than the control group, a significant larger number of different healthy follicles and also a significant larger number of corpora lutea than those of group I. group III showed that the ovary had lost its characteristic architecture in comparison to group I. There was a significant decline in the number of the different healthy follicles in the cortices with the presence of large congested blood vessels with hemorrhage, multiple atretic follicles, and multiple cystic follicles which were statistically significant in comparison to the group I. These cystic follicles had thin granulosa layer, degenerated granulosa cells, vacuolated granulosa cells, intraluminal desquamated granulosa cells, large eosinophilic colloidal fluid and thick theca layer. group IV showed marked better histological structure than those of group III. The number of the different healthy follicles and also corpora lutea was significantly increased than those of group III with a significant marked decrease of the cystic and atretic follicles (p < 0.001 in all measures).