Reproductive traits of polycystic ovary syndrome in female rhesus monkeys

The objective of this study was to set up a rhesus monkey model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is globally prevalent among reproductive-aged human women, and to understand the reproductive traits of PCOS female monkeys. Six adult female rhesus monkeys aged 6−10 a, were divided into a PCOS group and a control group. The PCOS group were given two cycles of subcutaneous injections of propionic acid testosterone (PAT), 3.5 mg/kg body weight, on day 1, day 3, and day 5 of the menstrual cycle, respectively, and then given muscle injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), 350 IU/kg body wtight, on day 7, day 9, and day 11, respectively. Results showed that high levels of serum LH and T [(5.35±0.17) IU/L and (7.58±0.14) ng/mL, respectively], and a high ratio value of LH/FSH (5.35/1.30=4.12) were observed in the PCOS group. No significant differences were found in serum FSH, E2, and P in the PCOS group compared with those of the control. Polycystic ovaries in the PCOS monkeys were recorded by live ultrasound. The blastocysts rates of the PCOS vs. the control were 23.53% vs. 66.67%, and there was a significant difference between the two groups. This study shows that PAT coupled with HCG can induce PCOS in rhesus monkeys in the short term. The reproductive features of PCOS monkeys were similar to those of PCOS patients.