Protective Effects of Antioxidants on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Ovarian Toxicity

Treatment of ovarian damage induced by chemotherapeutic drugs in female rats with G-CSF and platelet-rich plasma(PRP): an immunohistochemical study correlation with novel marker INSL-3

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impacts of Platelet-Rich Plasma(PRP) and Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor(G-CSF) on a rat model with induced ovarian follicular damage caused by cyclophosphamide(Cy).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into seven distinct groups as; Group 1(control): NaCl intraperitoneal (IP) injection was administered on days D1, D7, and D14. Group 2(Cy):Cy IP injection on D1 + NaCl IP injection on D7 and D14 were administered. Group 3(PRP): PRP IP injection on D1,D7 and D14 were administered. Group 4(Cy + PRP):Cy IP injection on D1 and PRP IP injection on D1, D7 and D14 were administered. Group 5(G-CSF): G-CSF IP injection on D1, D7 and D14 were administered. Group 6(Cy + G-CSF):Cy IP injection on D1+ G-CSF IP injection on D1, D7 and D14 were administered. Group 7(Cy + PRP + G-CSF):Cy IP injection on D1+ PRP IP injection on D1,D7 and D14+ G-CSF IP injection on D1,D7 and D14 were administered. Follicular number, histological scores of AMH and INSL3 stained follicles at different stages of follicular development, and serum Anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH) were evaluated.

RESULTS

The primary, secondary, and antral follicle intensity scores for AMH-positive staining were most prominent in Groups 3 and 5. There was no significant difference between groups 4, 6 and 7 compared to group 1 in terms of follicule counts and AMH staining. The intensity scores of AMH-positive staining follicles were notably reduced in group 2 compared to groups 4, 6, and 7, with a significant difference (p < .01). Among the groups, group 2 exhibited the least intense antral follicle staining for INSL3, displaying a significant difference(p < .01) compared to the remaining groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Autologous PRP and G-CSF might protect ovarian function in the face of ovarian damage caused by Cy-induced effects.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells expressing Neat-1, Hotair-1, miR-21, miR-644, and miR-144 subsided cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian insufficiency by remodeling the IGF-1-kisspeptin system, ovarian apoptosis, and angiogenesis

Ovarian insufficiency is one of the common reproductive disorders affecting women with limited therapeutic aids. Mesenchymal stem cells have been investigated in such disorders before yet, the exact mechanism of MSCs in ovarian regeneration regarding their epigenetic regulation remains elusive. The current study is to investigate the role of the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) lncRNA (Neat-1 and Hotair1) and miRNA (mir-21-5p, mir-144-5p, and mir-664-5p) in mitigating ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis as well as searching BM-MSCs in altering the expression of ovarian and hypothalamic IGF-1 - kisspeptin system in connection to HPG axis in a cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian failure rat model. Sixty mature female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 3 equal groups; control group, premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) group, and POI + BM-MSCs. POI female rat model was established with cyclophosphamide. The result revealed that BM-MSCs and their conditioned media displayed a significant expression level of Neat-1, Hotair-1, mir-21-5p, mir-144-5p, and mir-664-5p. Moreover, BM-MSCs transplantation in POI rats improves; the ovarian and hypothalamic IGF-1 - kisspeptin, HPG axis, ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis, steroidogenesis, angiogenesis, energy balance, and oxidative stress. BM-MSCs expressed higher levels of antiapoptotic lncRNAs and microRNAs that mitigate ovarian insufficiency.

An overview of different methods to establish a murine premature ovarian failure model

Premature ovarian failure (POF)is defined as the loss of normal ovarian function before the age of 40 and is characterized by increased gonadotropin levels and decreased estradiol levels and ovarian reserve, often leading to infertility. The incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of POF is a major impediment to the development of effective treatments for this disease, so the use of animal models is a promising option for investigating and identifying the molecular mechanisms involved in POF patients and developing therapeutic agents. As mice and rats are the most commonly used models in animal research, this review article considers studies that used murine POF models. In this review based on the most recent studies, first, we introduce 10 different methods for inducing murine POF models, then we demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of each one, and finally, we suggest the most practical method for inducing a POF model in these animals. This may help researchers find the method of creating a POF model that is most appropriate for their type of study and suits the purpose of their research.

Gynotoxic Effects of Chemotherapy and Potential Protective Mechanisms

Chemotherapy is one of the leading cancer treatments. Unfortunately, its use can contribute to several side effects, including gynotoxic effects in women. Ovarian reserve suppression and estrogen deficiency result in reduced quality of life for cancer patients and are frequently the cause of infertility and early menopause. Classic alkylating cytostatics are among the most toxic chemotherapeutics in this regard. They cause DNA damage in ovarian follicles and the cells they contain, and they can also induce oxidative stress or affect numerous signaling pathways. In vitro tests, animal models, and a few studies among women have investigated the effects of various agents on the protection of the ovarian reserve during classic chemotherapy. In this review article, we focused on the possible beneficial effects of selected hormones (anti-Müllerian hormone, ghrelin, luteinizing hormone, melatonin), agents affecting the activity of apoptotic pathways and modulating gene expression (C1P, S1P, microRNA), and several natural (quercetin, rapamycin, resveratrol) and synthetic compounds (bortezomib, dexrazoxane, goserelin, gonadoliberin analogs, imatinib, metformin, tamoxifen) in preventing gynotoxic effects induced by commonly used cytostatics. The presented line of research appears to provide a promising strategy for protecting and/or improving the ovarian reserve in the studied group of cancer patients. However, well-designed clinical trials are needed to unequivocally assess the effects of these agents on improving hormonal function and fertility in women treated with ovotoxic anticancer drugs.

Protective effects of Azilsartan against cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian toxicity in rats model

Background

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an effective alkylating anticancer agent that is widely used in cancer chemotherapy, and it can cause ototoxicity and infertility in women.

Objectives

So, this study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Azilsartan (AZ) as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in a rat model of CP-induced ovarian toxicity.

Materials and Methods

After receiving the 28 female Wister rats, they were acclimatized in proper environmental conditions for a week and then randomly divided into four groups based on the study protocol. After 15 days of the experiment, they were sacrificed, and organs were collected for biomarker detection (Using the ELISA technique) and histopathological analysis.

Results

The level of IL-10 was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in all treated groups compared to control hostile groups, while the TNF-α level was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in AZ (220.67 ± 7.88 ng/mL) and AZ + CP groups (221.78 ± 9.11 ng/mL) compared to control negative/CP groups. Regarding the oxidative biomarker level, a significant increase was only found in the AZ + CP group (176.02 ± 6.71 nmol/mL) compared to the control negative group. On the other hand, histopathological findings revealed that ovarian sections in animals that received a single dose of CP had severe ovarian atrophy with significant follicular regression and deterioration, as well as depletion of stromal supportive tissues.

Conclusions

Azilsartan drastically reduced CP-induced ovarian toxicity in vivo by enhancing oxidative stress and inhibiting inflammatory effects in ovarian cells.

Cyclophosphamide reduces gene transcriptional activity and embryo in vitro development by inhibiting NF-κB expression through decreasing AcH4K12

Cyclophosphamide (CTX), a widely used chemotherapeutic agent for cancer treatment, has been associated with long-term toxicity and detrimental effects on oocytes and ovaries, resulting in female reproductive dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of CTX on in vitro maturation (IVM) injury of porcine oocytes and subsequent embryonic development, as well as its effects on epigenetic modification and gene activation during early embryonic development. The results demonstrated that CTX treatment caused aberrant spindle structure and mitochondrial dysfunction during oocyte maturation, inducing DNA damage and early apoptosis, which consequently disrupted meiotic maturation. Indeed, CTX significantly reduced the in vitro developmental capacity of porcine embryos, and induced DNA damage and apoptosis in in vitro fertilization (IVF) blastocysts. Importantly, CTX induced abnormal histone modification of AcH4K12 in early porcine embryos. Moreover, addition of LBH589 before zygotic genome activation (ZGA) effectively increased AcH4K12 levels and restored the protein expression of NF-κB, which can effectively enhance the in vitro developmental potential of IVF embryos. The DNA damage and apoptosis induced by CTX compromised the quality of the blastocysts, which were recovered by supplementation with LBH589. This restoration was accompanied by down-regulation of BAX mRNA expression and up-regulation of BCL2, POU5F1, SOX2 and SOD1 mRNA expression. These findings indicated that CTX caused abnormal histone modification of AcH4K12 in early porcine embryos and reduced the protein expression of NF-κB, a key regulator of early embryo development, which may block subsequent ZGA processes.

Investigation of crocin's protective effect on cyclophosphamide-induced hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis defects in adult female rats

Cyclophosphamide is a drug used in chemotherapy. However, it has side effects, including changes in reproductive system functioning. Some herbal compounds can reduce the harmful effects of cyclophosphamide. This study aims to investigate the protective role of crocin against changes caused by Cyclophosphamide in ovarian tissue through changes in the expression of genes involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This experimental study was performed on 24 adult female Wistar rats. Mice were divided into four groups (normal saline, 30 mg/kg cyclophosphamide, 100 mg/kg crocin and 30 mg/kg cyclophosphamide, and 200 mg/kg crocin and 30 mg/kg cyclophosphamide). At the end of the treatment period, the hypothalamus and ovaries were also removed to evaluate ob-Rb, ob-Ra, and NPY genes expression using real-time PCR and histological changes in the ovaries. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software. The expression of genes, number of follicles, and follicle diameter significantly decreased in the cyclophosphamide-treated groups compared with the control group. In the crocin and cyclophosphamide-treated groups, drug-induced reproductive complications were mitigated. The current findings indicate that by increasing the expression of genes ob-Rb, ob-Ra, and NPY, crocin could modulate the harmful effects of cyclophosphamide.