Commingle Consumption of Monosodium Glutamate and Aspartame and Potential Reproductive System Affection of Female Albino Rats: Involvement of VASA Gene Expression and Oxidative Stress

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and Aspartame (ASP) are the most commonly used food additives. Despite their wide-spread, their safety was examined and fears of toxic effects were recently expressed. So, this study aimed to assess the separate and commingle effects of monosodium glutamate and aspartame on some reproduction function of adult female albino rats. A total of Thirty-two female rats were divided randomly into 4 equal groups (8 rats/ group). Group I: Control rats were fed on a standard diet. Group II:(MSG) each rat received MSG (400mg/Kg. body weight). Group III: (ASP) each rat administrated ASP (40 mg/Kg. body weight). Group IV: (MSG + ASP) each rat received MSG and ASP at the same previous dosage regimen for the same duration. All the treatment was orally gavaged daily for 30 days. Either MSG or ASP individually or mixed had significant deleterious effects on the ovarian functions of the rats in the order MSG then ASP. Aspartame alone was unable to alter the estrogen level or VASA gene expression and caused no considerable histopathological changes of the ovaries, while the combination of (MSG+ASP) decreased significantly the levels of estrogen and gene expression and produced destructive histopathological changes in the pituitary and ovarian tissues leading to reproductive dysfunction. This could be explained by MSG and ASP-induced pronounced ovarian redox imbalance evidenced via generating lipid peroxidation with diminishing reduced glutathione. More researches are mandatory to assess the adjuvant impact of monosodium glutamate and aspartame on female reproductive function and antioxidant defense systems.