Effects of unilaterally microinjecting ethanol in the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic areas of rats on ovulation.

Background: Intragastric or intraperitoneal ethanol (EtOH) treatment inhibits reproductive functions in females and male rats. The area of the hypothalamus where these effects take place is unknown. As the participations of the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic area (POA-AHA) in regulating ovulation is asymmetric, this study aims to analyze the effects on 17β-estradiol(E2 ), progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) serum levels, the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ), and ovulation resulting from unilaterally microinjecting water or an EtOH solution into either side of the POA-AHA.