Metformin-Functionalized Selenium Nanoparticles Restore Insulin Signaling and Metabolic Homeostasis in Letrozole-Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Rat Model
Preclinical study demonstrates that metformin-functionalized selenium nanoparticles reverse endocrine and metabolic dysfunction in PCOS rats, indicating enhanced therapeutic synergy.
Key Points
To evaluate whether a novel metformin-functionalized selenium nanocomposite restores metabolic, endocrine, and insulin signaling homeostasis in a letrozole-induced PCOS rat model.
Synthesized Met+SeNP via a redox reaction of sodium selenite and ascorbic acid with metformin, confirming structure via UV-Vis, SEM, and EDX.
Assigned female Sprague-Dawley rats across five groups: healthy controls, PCOS model, metformin monotherapy (300 mg/kg), SeNP monotherapy (0.4 mg/kg), and Met+SeNP nanocomposite (0.4 mg/kg SeNP + 300 mg/kg metformin).
Evaluated body weight, HOMA-IR, reproductive hormones, hepatic enzymes, ovarian histopathology, and immunohistochemical expression of INR, IRS-1, and IRS-2 in liver and skeletal muscle.
Met+SeNP treatment minimized weight gain by 39.36% compared to PCOS controls, normalized HOMA-IR, and restored circulating levels of LH, estrogen, and testosterone.
Histopathology revealed a marked reduction in ovarian cystic follicles along with the recovery of corpus luteum formation following Met+SeNP administration.
The nanocomposite robustly reversed PCOS-induced suppression of INR, IRS-1, and IRS-2 expression in liver and muscle, while significantly improving ALT, AST, and ALP levels.