Abstract:
Abstract: Oral contraceptives are a simple form of contraception used by women worldwide. The oral
contraceptive is one of the greatest and most influential developments of the twentieth century. It is regarded as
the most reliable method of contraception, and one of the easiest. They are widely available in most pharmacies
and chemist shops. This research priority included efforts to discover the effect of combined oral
contraceptives(COC) (DUOFEM) on some cytokines in female wistar rats. Eighty (80) female wistar rats aged
10-12 weeks weighing 180-250 g were used for the study. They were divided into four groups of 20 rats each
comprising 10 treated and 10 control rats. The treated rats received 0.6mg/kg body weight of COC
intragastically for 36, 48, 60 and 72 days in five-day cycles (four-day treatment with one-day break). The COC
was given intragastically in 5-day cycles (4-day treatment with 1-day break). All controls were given fresh
water at ad libitum daily for the period of the experiment.The blood sample was drawn into plain tubes..An
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the quantitative determination of
Erythropoietin(EPO), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-11 (IL-11). There were significant decrease in
interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-11 (IL-11),but no significant change in Erythropoietin.While further study is
necessary, current evidence suggest that COC (DUOFEM) use provides contraceptives benefits with minimal
potential adverse effects in healthy users.
