EFFECTS OF ANASTROZOLE ADMINISTRATION ON SERUM ESTROGEN LEVEL OF FEMALE RABBIT

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effects of anastrozole use as hormonal treatment of breast cancer on the serum estrogen level in an animal model. Study Design: Laboratory based randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health, Islamabad, 7 months from Jun 2012 to Nov 2012. Material and Methods: Thirty adult female rabbits (New Zealand) average weight 1.2 to 2 kg and age between 6 months to 2 years were selected. Ten were kept in control group A and 10 were kept in experimental groups B and C each. Group B was given anastrozole in the dose parallel to normal human dose and group C was given a dose 10 times higher than the normal dose for six months. After the completion of the study blood estrogen levels were taken to evaluate serum estrogen level of the groups. The results were compared among the groups for statistical significance by using SPSS version 21. Result: After maintaining a steady dose of anastrozole in both experimental groups for six months, blood samples were taken to calculate the mean serum level of estrogen in each group the normal level was 186.1 ± 63.59 pmol/L in group A and 116.4 ± 48.58 pmol/L and 108.2 ± 20.40 pmol/L in experimental groups B and C respectively. The p-value was 0.008 which was statistically significant. The p-value between the control and experimental group C was 0.003 which is also highly significant. The comparison of the serum estrogen levels of both the experimental groups B and C was found to be statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Adminstration of normal dose of anastrazole decreases serum estrogen levels. This decrease is significant statistically. Increasing the dose of anastrozole decreases the serum estrogen levels but this decrease is not significant statistically. Keywords: , , ,.

Keywords

• serum estrogen level
• breast cancer
• aromatase inhibitors