Introduction: Lorazepam or Ativan is one of the drugs used for depression and anxiety treatment, especially in young people worldwide. Regarding the use of this drug in women, the present study was performed to investigate the role of lorazepam on the uterus and sex hormones of adult female Balb/C mice.
Material and methods: Lorazepam was injected intraperitoneal (IP) in 75 female mice at a fixed dose of 2 mg/kg body weight. The effect of this drug was studied for three groups along with two groups of control and sham and also in three different time intervals (5, 10, and 15 days). Estradiol and progesterone sex hormones were evaluated by ELFA (Enzyme Linked Fluorescence Assay) and the uterus of mice was described by eosin and hematoxylin staining. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 22 with Duncan test and ANOVA method and P-value of 0.05 was considered.
Results: The results of this study showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in the weight of animals, number of open secretory glands, and progesterone compared to the control and sham groups after increasing the duration of drug injection. However, there was a significant decrease in factors such as closed secretory glands and estradiol. The thickness of uterine layers increased after drug injection but this increase was not significant.
Conclusion: The use of lorazepam for a long period has a damaging effect on the reproductive system of female mice. It is recommended the use of lorazepam, especially in young girls, should be done under the supervision of a physician and with full awareness.