Adeno-Hypophyseal Consequence of Uterine Fibroid and the Effects of Ginger Extract on the Monosodium Glutamate-Induced Tumor

Background: Uterine fibroids, also referred to as uterine myomas, leiomyomas, myomatas, or simply fibroid are benign soft-tissue tumors that arise from uterine smooth muscle tissue (myometrium). They have been described numerously to be hormone-dependent and uterine structure-damaging, but the present study reports the implication of this soft-tissue tumor to the functioning and eventual anatomical change in the pituitary gland and the potential role of ginger extract in reversing the damages.

Aim: To understand uterine fibroids at the level of the pituitary gland, while studying the effects that aqueous extract of ginger will play in the Monosodium Glutamate-induced uterine fibroid.

Study Design: Experimental.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Benjamin S. Carson School of Medicine, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria between January 2017 and May 2017.

Methodology: Acclimatization lasted for 10 days following procurement, after which oral administration of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and Aqueous ginger extract ensued to determine the prophylactic, protective and curative effects of ginger on MSG-induced uterine fibroid in adult female wistar rats. Administration lasted for 50 days, after which the experimental animals were sacrificed via cervical dislocation, blood samples were collected for Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH) level determination and the pituitary gland was fixed in 10% formal saline for histological analysis.

Results: The MSG-induced uterine fibroid showed abnormal effects on the pituitary gland histology and in the level of Luteinizing and Follicular Stimulating Hormones, while ginger extract reversed this effect.

Conclusion: Ginger has fibroid-preventing and fibroid-reducing properties at the level of the pituitary gland. The results of this study may contribute greatly to knowledge and may offer a non-invasive therapy of treating women with fibroids.