〔Abstract〕 To investigate the effects of acarbose and pioglitazone on the levels of sex hormones in adult female rats , and to explore their regulatory effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis ( HPOA) and its mechanism . Methods Adult female SD rats aged 2 months were randomly divided into 0 . 9% sodium chloride so- lution control group (NS) , acarbose low (AL) , medium (AM) and high (AH) dose groups and pioglitazone low (PL) , medium (PM) and high (PH) dose groups . AL , AM and AH groups were given 20 , 40 and 60 mg/ (kg · d) acarbose , and PL , PM and PH groups were given 5 , 10 and 15 mg/ (kg ·d) pioglitazone , respectively. Af- ter 28 days of intervention , serum gonadotropin (FSH , LH) and ovarian secreted hormone (E2 , P , T) were de- tected by ELISA , and the effects of acarbose and pioglitazone on HPOA were investigated by organ index analysis and histopathological observation of pituitary gland and ovary. Results Compared with the NS group , the serum FSH in the PL , PM and PH groups decreased (all P < 0. 01) , the serum LH in the PL , PM and PH groups de- creased (P < 0. 05 , P < 0. 01 , P < 0. 01) , and the organ indices in the PM and PH groups decreased ( all P < 0. 01) . HE staining of the adenohypophysis in the PL , PM and PH groups showed an increase in eosinophils , a de- crease in basophils , and an expansion and increase in the number of blood sinuses . In the PM and PH groups , HE staining of the ovaries showed that there were no significant differences in follicles at all levels , but the development was poor , the number of primordial follicles decreased , and the number of corpus luteum increased . Compared with the NS group , the serum P in the AM and AH groups decreased ( all P < 0. 01) , and serum E2 in AM and AH groups decreasd (all P < 0. 05) . Conclusion Pioglitazone affects HPOA by regulating pituitary function directly. However , the effect of acarbose on HPOA may be mediated through the gut-brain axis , and has no direct correlation with the ovarian structure .