Protective effect of curcumin on ovarian reserve in a rat ischemia model: an experimental study

Abstract

Purpose of investigation:To determine the protective effect of curcumin on ovarian reserve in a rat ischemia model. Materials and Methods: Thirty female Albino rats were randomly divided into two groups by time of unilateral, left ovary ischemia/reperfusion (group 1: two-hour ischemia / two-hour reperfusion; group 2: four-hour ischemia / four-hour reperfusion). Each group was subdivided into three subgroups, sham, control, and curcumin (intraperitoneal curcumin (200 mg/kg) simultaneously with reperfusion). Histological grading of ischemic indices of paraffin-embedded ovarian tissue using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), were measured 40 days later. Results: No difference was found between groups 1 and 2 or among subgroups within either group for right and left ovary grades. AMH levels were significantly higher in the curcumin subgroup compared to sham and control within group 2 and in group 2 versus group 1 curcumin subgroups. Conclusion: Curcumin maintains and protects ovarian functions in an ischemia-reperfusion rat model.

Protective effects of curcumin on ischemia/reperfusion injury

“…Later, the same group investigated the potential effect of curcumin on ovarian reserve in the I/R rat models. Compared with the untreated group, the level of anti‐Mullerian hormone (AMH) in ovarian tissues derived from I/R models exposed to 200 mg/kg of curcumin at the same time as reperfusion was significantly increased (Eser et al, 2017). It has recently been shown that the primary mechanism of curcumin‐mediated restoration of ovarian reserve is through regulation of the Phosphatase and tensin homolog‐Protein kinase B‐Forkhead box class O 3a pathway (Lv et al, 2021).…”