Abstract: Objective To investigate the therapeutical effects of visfatin and metformin on insulin resistance and reproductive
endocrine disorder in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods Forty female Wistar rats were divided into 4
equal groups, and in groups A, B and C, the rats were injected subcutaneously with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for
PCOS modeling, with group D as the blank control injected with soybean oil. Vaginal smears and serological testing were
taken to assess the modeling. After the modeling, the rats in group A received 10 μg reorganized visfatin injection and those in
group B were treated with metformin (14 mg/100 g) on a daily basis for 15 days. Serum levels of T, LH, FSH, FINS and blood
glucose levels during OGTT were measured before and after the treatments, and HOMA-IR and LH to FSH ratio were
calculated. The ovaries were then dissected for pathological examination. Results In groups A and B, FINS, FPG, T, HOMA-IR
and blood glucose levels during OGTT were significantly decreased after the treatments (P<0.05), which resulted in recovery of
regular menses in 8 (80%) rats in group A and 7 (77.8%) rats in group B with the development of normal follicles. Visfatin and
metformin produced equivalent therapeutic effects in improving the insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism in PCOS rats.
Conclusion Visfatin and metformin have equivalent therapeutic effects in improving insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism
and in promoting the recovery of regular menses and development of normal follicles in PCOS rats.