Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation on mice with diminished ovarian reserve

Do Resveratrol and Dehydroepiandrosterone Increase Diminished Ovarian Reserve?

Objective

In this study, the aim is to observe changes induced by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and resveratrol (RES) in diminished ovarian follicles that was induced by 4-vinylcyclohexenediepoxide (VCD).

Materials and Methods

Twenty four Wistar albino female rats were divided into 3 groups: control, DHEA and RES. Unilateral oophorectomy was performed in control group to remove the right ovary of 4 rats and the left ovary of 4 rats. After administration of 160 mg/kg VCD, remaining ovaries were removed. Following the same VCD treatment, in DHEA and RES groups, 60 mg/kg DHEA and 20 mg/kg RES were given for 45 days respectively and residual ovaries were removed. Hematoxylin-eosin and TUNEL staining were performed. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2) and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) values were measured.

Results

In control group, VCD-induced apoptosis in follicles increased the TUNEL-positive cell counts (p<0.001) with decreased number of follicles. On the other hand, DHEA significantly increased all three follicle types in the ovaries and decreased apoptosis (p<0.001). The decreased follicle number in all three follicle types after VCD treatment were found to be significantly increased after RES treatment (p<0.001). Apoptosis in the follicles was significantly decreased by RES administration (p<0.001). FSH values were found to be increased with VCD and to reach control values with DHEA and RES. E2 values significantly decreased with VCD, but significantly increased with RES and DHEA.

Conclusion

Both DHEA and RES may improve VCD-induced diminished ovarian reserve. DHEA and RES increased the number of primary, primordial and growing follicles, with no significant difference between them.

Investigation of the preventive effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on cisplatin-induced ovarian damage in rats

To investigate whether Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) had any preventive effect against the ovarian damage caused by cisplatin (CP) (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum) in rats. On the first day ovaries were removed, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was measured (Group1, n:6), in the other groups 7.5 mg/kg cisplatin was administered intraperitoneally. In Group 2 (n = 6), 0.1 ml saline, in Group 3 (n = 5), 20 umol/kg CAPE, in Group 4 (n = 7), DHEA 6 mg/kg were administered every day. On the 10th day, ovaries were removed, AMH was measured. Ovary reserve (primordial/primary/secondary/tertiary/atretic follicles, AMH), ovarian damage scores (follicular degeneration, congestion, hemorrhage, edema, inflammation) were compared. The number of tertiary follicles were statistically high in the CAPE group (p = .015), the inflammation score in the DHEA group (p = .012), AMH level (p = .009) in the control group. The lowest number of atretic follicles (AF) was in the control group, while the highest number of AF was in the DHEA group (p = .002). Significant decreases in AF were the case in the cisplatin and DHEA groups compared to the control group (p < .008). The AMH values had the highest positive correlation with the number of primordial follicles and the highest negative correlation with the number of AF. The cut off point for AMH was 1.57 ng/ml as an indicator of low ovarian reserve. Cisplatin causes total damage and increased numbers of AF on the ovary. Depending on this, AMH levels fall. These negative effects of cisplatin are not obstructed by CAPE or DHEA, and may even be increased by DHEA.