OBJECTIVETo observe the changes of free radicals in rats after ovariectomy and the intervention effect of fetal renal cell suspension (FRCS) on them.

METHODSTotally 48 Sprague-Dawley rats, eight in the normal control group were sham-operated and treated with saline; the other 40 were ovariectomized and randomly divided into four groups: the model control group (A) administered with normal saline, the positive control group (B) administered with nilestriol, the two testing groups (C and D) administered respectively with living and dead FRCS. The administration was beginning from 12 weeks after operation and lasted for four weeks. Levels of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric monoxide synthase (NOS) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) contents were measured at the terminal of the study.

RESULTSCompared with the sham-operated group, levels of SOD, NOS and NO in Group A were significantly lower, while level of MDA was significantly higher (P < 0.01). Compared with Group A, all above-mentioned abnormalities of indices were inversely changed in the three intervened groups significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but showed insignificant difference in the paired comparisons of the three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHigh free radical condition is surely present in ovariectomized rats, FRCS can lessen the injury of free radicals and enhance the oxidation antagonizing capacity of the organism.