Effects of Methylene Blue on Ovarian Torsion-Detorsion Injury in a Rat Model

Long-term protective effects of lamotrigine in a rat ovarian ischemia-reperfusion model

Ovarium torsion is a gynecological emergency that is common in women of reproductive age and requires early diagnosis and intervention. In this study, we aimed to investigate the long-term anatomical, histological and biochemical protective effects of lamotrigine in ovariums in the ischemia - reperfusion (I-R) model created experimentally in rats. A total of 40 female Sprague-Dawley rats, 14 weeks old, weighing 220-270 g were used in the study. The subjects were randomly distributed to form 4 groups named SHAM group, I - R group, I - R + Lamotrigine (LTG) group and R + LTG group. Under general anesthesia, the ovaries of the rats were reached and ischemia was created for 3 h with vascular clamps. 20 mg / kg LTG was administered intraperitoneally (ip.) to group 3 30 min before ischemia and to group 4 30 min before reperfusion. At the third hour of ischemia, the vascular clamps were opened and the abdomen of the rats was closed according to the surgical procedure. The rats were followed up for 28 days postoperatively and the ovarium tissues taken on the 28th day were examined anatomically and histologically. Biochemically, estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and antimullerian hormone (AMH) levels were measured from blood samples taken from their hearts. Granulosa cells with diffuse vaculations were observed in degenerative follicles in group I-R. Again in this group, severe hemorrhage, fibrosis and edematous areas were observed in the ovarium stroma (Ovarian Histopathological Scoring (OHS): 7). In the I - R + LTG group, OHS was statistically significantly lower than the I - R group (OHS: 2; p < 0.000). In the R + LTG group, although the OHS score was calculated to be lower than the I - R group, there was no statistically significant difference (OHS: 6; p > 0.05). The protective effect of LTG against experimentally created ischemia and reperfusion damage was determined anatomically and histologically. No protective effect of LTG was observed in terms of FSH, E2 and AMH values measured from the blood sera of rats. These findings may provide a basis for future studies using LTG to treat ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The effects of berberine on ischemia-reperfusion injuries in an experimental model of ovarian torsion

OBJECTIVE

Ovarian torsion is a gynecological disorder that causes ischemia-reperfusion injuries in the ovary. Our study investigated berberine's short- and long-term effects on ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injuries.

METHODS

This study included 28 Wistar albino female rats weighing 180 to 220 g, which were divided into four groups: sham (S), torsion/detorsion (T/D), torsion/ detorsion+single dose berberine (T/D+Bb), and torsion/detorsion+15 days berberine (T/D+15Bb). The torsion and detorsion model was applied in all non-sham groups. In the T/D+Bb group, a single dose of berberine was administered, while in the T/D+15Bb group, berberine was administered over a period of 15 days. After the rats were euthanized, their ovaries were excised. The left ovaries were used for histopathologic evaluation, which included ovarian injury scoring and follicle count, while the right ovaries were used for biochemical analyses (tissue transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β] and alpha-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] levels).

RESULTS

The histopathologic evaluation scores for the ovaries were significantly lower in the T/D+B group (p<0.05) and the T/D+15B group (p<0.005) than in the T/D group. The follicle counts in the T/D group were lower than those in both the sham and treated groups (p<0.005). The TGF-β levels were significantly lower in the T/D+15B group (p<0.005), whereas the α-SMA levels did not show a significant difference.

CONCLUSION

Both short- and long-term berberine use could potentially have therapeutic effects on ovarian torsion. Long-term berberine use exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TGF-β levels, thereby preventing ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Therefore, we suggest that long-term berberine use could be beneficial for ovarian torsion.

Artemisinin reduces acute ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Artemisinin (ARS) is well known as an effective agent in the treatment of malaria through the rapid elimination of Plasmodium falciparum parasites. This study aims to investigate the effect of ARS in treating adnexal torsion, one of the most common gynecological surgical emergencies. ARS was administered intraperitoneally once 30 min before unilateral ovarian torsion in two different doses (10 mg/kg vs. 50 mg/kg). Torsion was maintained for 3 h and then held in the detorted state for 3 h. Bilateral adnexectomy was performed to measure antioxidant enzyme activities and oxidant levels on the ipsilateral ovary and to make histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses on the contralateral ovary. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury dramatically upregulated the activities of CAT, GST, and MDA levels in the ipsilateral ovary, which were all downregulated by ARS treatment. A significant increase in follicular cell degeneration, congestion, and edema in the contralateral ovary was seen in the I/R group, which was significantly reduced with ARS treatment. Furthermore, I/R injury resulted in a significant increase in apoptosis as shown by the increased levels of BAX and CASP-3, and decreased levels of BCL-2 whereas ARS significantly reduced the impact of the injury. Our data, based on a rat I/R injury model, show that both ipsilateral and contralateral ovaries are protected with ARS pretreatment, and 50 mg/kg ARS treatment demonstrates to be more effective than the 10 mg/kg ARS.