الفهرس 
Material and methodsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 207 |  |  |
| | | from | 207 | | |
Abstract
- III -
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Realizing the fact that protein deficiency malnourishment
does exist among communities included in the National
Family Planning Programme especially in rural areas,
this presentation aimed at studying the metabolic changes
that might occur due to the use of one of the commonly
used oral contraceptives under the condition of existing
malnourishment.
To achieve this goal we designed our experiment on
the basis of developing protein deficiency malnutrition
in adult female rats over a long period of time followed
by treatment of the malnourished animals with daily or”
doses of the drug chosen. Adult female albino rats with
average body weight of 150 - 200 gms and showing two consecutive
normal estrus cycles were used for the experiment.
The rats were divided into two main groups, a normally nourished
control group that received standard diet containing
20 % casein, and malnourished protein deficient group
which received standard diet with 7 % casein. The control
ahd test animals were allowed known weighed amount of
the corresponding diet (20gms!rat!day). The estrus
cycles of both groups were followed by daily vaginal
smear.
- 112 -
The low protein fed animals gradually developed signs
of malnourishment untill after 90 days, when all animals
exhibited the full picture of malnourishment based on the
following criteria:
1 Signs of malnourishment.
2 BOe] Y weight changes,
:3 Vaginal smear cytology changes.
4 Plasma protein pattern changes.
Results of all the above parameters were compared
with those of the normally nourished groups.
Following the development of malnourishment both the
control and test animals continued to receive the same
corresponding diet. Each main group was divided into 2
groups a nontreated and a treated one. The treated animals
received daily 1/10 of the human dose of the combined contraceptive
preparation for the whole observation period
(180 days).
Consequently four groups were recruited for the required
tests:
1 Normally nourished non-treated group (N).
2 Normally nourished treated group (N+C).
:3 Malnourished non-treated group (M).
4 Malnourished treated group (M+C).
Daily observation and daily vaginal smears were done and
- 113 -
recorded for all groups. Blood samples were withdrawn
every 15 days during the whole observation period. Changes
in the following parameters every 15 days were recorded.
1 Body weight.
2 Vaginal smear cytology.
3 Plasma protein pattern ( using Biuret technique
for total protein and cellulose acetate electrophoresis
for plasma protein fractions).
4 Plasma hormonal pattern (FSH, LH, estrogen and
progesterone using RIA).
Each treated group was compared to its control nontreated,
together with a comparison between the malnourished
and normally nourished treated groups.
summarising the results observed, it was found that
continuous feeding of low protein diet following developroont
of malnourishment resulted in marked significant decrease
of body weight and cessation of cyclicity of the est~us
cycle at the diestrus phase.
Administration of daily oral contraceptive dose, to normally
nourished and malnourished groups caused shift of estrus
cycie towards estrus phase with final cessation at
estrus in all animals of both groups.
- 114 -
protein pattern was altered in the normally nourished
and malnourished treated groups in respect to their control
animals.
In general, total plasma protein as well as albumin
and A/G ratio were decreased in the malnourished groups
whether treated or non treated, but the change was more
significant with treatment. The globulin ~ractions showed
flactuating patterns though mostly towards increased levels,
The change in protein pattern in the normally nou’ished
treated animals was not prominent with a more or less s1~
ilar pattern to that occurred in the ma Lnour-Laher’ groups.
Oral contraceptives are known to influence the norens’
pattern of the hormones of reproduction namely the gCl’.ddc
t r-opLc and steroid sex hormones. Under nor-aa L condtt ton the
estrogen part of the pill supresses the FSH and -en) p:(’ogestogen
supresses the mid-cycle peak of LH, consequently ovulation
is disturbed or even inhibited.
In the present study daily admi~istration of oral contraceptives
to the normally nourished eroup resulted in changes
of the hormonal paktern previously recorded by other investigators.
~alnouris~ment per s~ resulted also in disturbance
of the balance of hormones of reprod~tion where the estrogen
and progesterone were decreased as well as final decrease of
.-._-_._----------------
- 115 -
FSH ann LH following prolonsen freeding of low protein
diet.
Daily treatment of the malnourished animals with oral
contraceptives also resulted in marked decrease of estrogen,
progesterone, LH and unstable level of FSH. It could
be deducted that low-protein in diet has basically a deleterious
effect on the hormonal pattern, which is partially
augmented by the administration of oral steroidal contraceptives.
Finally by assessing the results of all parameters
obtained in this investigation ” it is quite obvious that
protein deficiency plays a major and main role in the met-
.abolism of the body as well as on the hormones of reproduction.
Therefore, one can safely conclude that in co~
unities where malnourishment protein deficiency exists.or
could be detected, correction of the malnutritional status
of women is to be recommended before the use of steroidal
contraceptives which ~ere found to add a burden pn the
already derfanged ~et&bolic and hormonal levels.