EFFECTS OF 13- CIS-RETINOIC ACID ON THE TAMOXIFEN INDUCED UTERINE HISTOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE RABBIT

Effects of 13-Cis-Retinoic Acid

Abstract

Objective: To study the effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid on the tamoxifen induced uterine histological changes in the rabbit.
Study Design: Experimental – randomized controlled trial.
Place and Duration of study: The study was conducted for 4 months at the department of Anatomy, Army Medical College and National Institute of Health in 2007.
Material and Methods: The animals were randomly divided into three groups, a control group A, and two experimental groups B and C, consisting of thirty rabbits each. The experimental groups were treated with tamoxifen only and tamoxifen plus retinoic acid, respectively. The animals were sacrificed after three months. The uteri were then processed for paraffin embedding. Sections were then assessed for the luminal epithelial height, endometrial area and percentage of mitotic figures.
Results: The results obtained were suggestive of uterine proliferation by tamoxifen. The adjuvant administration of 13-cis-retinoic acid produced a statistically significant (p = 0.002) inhibitory effect on the tamoxifen induced increase in the area of endometrium, whereas no significant suppressive effect of this drug has been observed on the other parameters when compared with Group B.
Conclusion: 13-cis Retinoic acid has not shown a significant role in the reversal of tamoxifen induced changes in the uterine tissue after a short term administration of three months.