―SHORT COMMUNICATION― Alteration in uterine environment by adrenal feedback mechanism during estrous cycle ARYAMITRA BANERJEE, DEVHUTI DHOLAKIA and MANISH NIVSARKAR* Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway, Thaltej, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India Abstract Changes in superoxide anion radical and superoxide dismutase in the uterus and ovaries of normal mice (Mus musculus) with respect to the change of the estrus cycle, have previously been studied. Furthermore, earlier studies have suggested that adrenalectomy does not interfere with the normal physiological functioning of the reproductive system in mice. In this study, the change in oxyradical-antioxidant balance in the uterus and ovaries of normal cycling mice has been compared with that of adrenalectomized (ADX) mice showing normal cyclicity. Normal cycling Balb/c female mice were chosen based on the stage of estrus cycle, namely proestrus, estrus, metestrus and diestrus. Animals were sacrificed and lipid peroxidation (LPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) estimations were carried out in the ovaries and uterus. Furthermore, a similar group of mice was subjected to bilateral adrenalectomy, after one-week normal cyclicity was re-ascertained, and LPO-SOD estimations were performed as earlier. Results showed a peak in LPO and a fall in SOD at the proestrus stage in uterus of intact animals which was not mimicked in the ADX animals where the levels of LPO and SOD were maintained stable during all the cyclic stages. Similarly, a peak in SOD level was noted at the proestrus stage in ADX ovaries along with the LPO peak in both intact and ADX mice ovaries. This suggests that actually adrenalectomy does affect the ovarian and uterine physiology and environment.   < back .