Pesticide Research Journal

To assess the oxidative stress due to intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide anion radical (0₂^–) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and their responses on ovarian steroidogenesis under experimental system, adult, cyclic, albino rats of Wistar strain of different reproductive stages were given subcutaneously paraquat @ 2.5 mg kg⁻¹ weight and 5.0 mg kg⁻¹ body weight in 0.2 ml saline animal⁻¹ day⁻¹ for consequentive 3 days. The microsomal and mitochondrial O₂^– and H₂O₂ levels were found increased in the ereated group in n aose dependent manner. The treatment also changed the activity of antioxidant enzymen superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase during estrous cycle. The dose dependent increase in the ratio between reactive oxygen species and their antioxidant enzymes was observed during estrous cycle. An apparent decrease in the ovarian progesterone and estradiol-17β hormone was observed in the treated group over the control. Thus, paraquat did not affect ovarian steroidogenesis at 2.5 and d.0 mg kg⁻¹ body weight of doses in vivo with increase in the oxidattve stresss