Assessing the Impact of Onion Juice on the Levels of Leutinizing Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone in Female Mice Exposed to Transfluthrin Smoke

Aim: Transfluthrin is a fast-acting insecticide used in household mainly against mosquites. Its uses have not been without health risk to humans. The study aims at evaluating the effect of onion juice on follicle stimulating hormone and leutinizing hormone levels in mice exposed to transfluthrin smoke.

Study Design: This is an animal study conducted in the Animal House, College of Medical Science in Rivers State University.

Materials and Methods: Thirty( 30) female mice were used in this study. They were divided into six groups of five mice each; Group 1(negative control, exposed to normal environmental air), Group 2(exposed to 6g of transfluthrin coated insecticide paper smoke and given 0.2ml of onion juice), Group 3(exposed to 6g of transfluthrin coated insecticide paper smoke only), Group 4(exposed to 12g of transfluthrin coated insecticide paper smoke and given 0.2ml of onion juice), Group 5(exposed to 12g of transfluthrin coated insecticide paper smoke only), Group 6(given 0.2ml of onion juice only) through the oral gavage method daily. The smoke inhalation lasted for 15minutes daily for 28 days using the already formulated packaged transflutrin coated insecticide papers in the market.

Results: There was a significant difference in the mean values of Follicle Stimulating Hormone in groups 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 when compared to group 1 (P=0.004). There was no significant difference observed in the mean values of Leutinizing Hormone in the various groups (P=0.068). The ovaries in groups 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 showed several distortion and fluid congestion, which could be attributed to auto regulatory mechanisms leading to biochemical derangement.

Conclusion: This study shows that the exposure significantly altered the hormonal levels and the ovarian cyto architecture of the mice. It also reveals that exposure to transfluthrin is detrimental to the reproductive functions of female mice however, the Onion juice administered to the mice in this study showed no ameliorative effect on the ovarian distortion, hence not improving the reproductive status of the mice.