Abstract
Infertility refers to the biological inability of an individual to contribute to conception, or to a female who cannot carry a pregnancy to full term. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, it is a highly effective antioxidant and used in preventing and treating many disease. Formaldehyde is an organic compound, is used predominantly as a chemical intermediate, disinfectants, fumigants, photography, and wood preservation. The aim of the study to investigate the protective roles of antioxidants as vitamin C toward formaldehyde induces damage in female reproductive system. For this study Female mice (n=50, 25-40 gm) were mated, every 5 female mice with one male mice for 6 days for breeding. On the sixth day female mice were divided into 5 groups: group 1 (control) administered normal saline (5 ml/kg) for 5 days, group 2 received formaldehyde (30 mg/kg) for 5 days, group 3 received vitamin C (250mg/kg) for 5 days, group 4 administered formaldehyde and vitamin C (prophylactic) for 5 days, group 5 received formaldehyde for 5 days followed by vitamin C for another 5 days (curative). At the end of 21 days, animals were sacrificed; ovaries and uterus were removed and fixed in 10% formalin solution for routine histological techniques. Intraperitoneal administration was adopted in this study. It was found that formaldehyde cause reduction in ovulation process and damage in lining endometrial epithelial. Administration of Vitamin C only increase in ovulation process and showed normal tunica albuginea and also produce hyperstimulation for blood vessels and uterine epithelial. Vitamin C administration for treatment or prophylaxis repair the damage induced by formaldehyde and improves the ovary and uterus to nearly healthy condition. The treated group with vitamin C showed more repair and improvement compared to the prophylaxis group. Conclusions: formaldehyde induces histological alteration in ovary and uterus of female mice and in turn, vitamin C has a prophylaxis and treatment role against the damage induced in female mice. It is recommended for the future work, to find the protective role of vitamin