Cimetidine at therapeutic dose induces derangements in serum levels of some sex hormones: ameliorative effect of Vitamin C

Abstract

Background: Cimetidine is a potent histamine H_2-receptor antagonist widely used in treatment of peptic ulcer disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic cimetidine treatment at therapeutic dose of 30 mg kg^-1 on serum levels of testosterone, FSH, LH and estradiol and possible ameliorative effect of vitamin C on any derangements induced by cimetidine treatment.

Methods: Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 10) and treated orally for 60 days. Group 1 (control) received distilled water; group 2 received cimetidine (30 mg kg^-1); group 3 received cimetidine (30 mg kg^-1) + vitamin C (25 mg kg^-1) and group 4 received cimetidine (30 mg kg^-1) + vitamin C (50 mg kg^-1). At the end of the study each animal was anaesthetized by chloroform inhalation in a gas chamber and blood was collected by heart puncture. Serum testosterone, FSH, LH and estradiol levels were determined using ELISA kits.

Results: Serum levels of testosterone (5.11 ± 0.89), FSH (4.07 ± 0.16) and estradiol (3.13 ± 0.08) of the cimetidine-treated group were higher than that of the control (1.94 ± 0.53, 1.96 ± 0.04 and 1.52 ± 0.23, respectively) at P ≤ 0.05 while the value for LH of the two groups were not significantly different. Treatment with vitamin C reversed the cimetidine-induced increase in the levels of some of these hormones.

Conclusion: It was concluded that chronic cimetidine administration at therapeutic dose increased serum levels of testosterone, FSH and estradiol, but not LH and vitamin C at the dose of 25 mg kg^-1 co-administered with cimetidine ameliorated the increase in serum concentration of testosterone and FSH.

Keywords: Cimetidine, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol and Vitamin C