The Ovario-Protective Effect of Erythropoietin against Oxidative Damage Associated with Reperfusion Following Ovarian Torsion in Rat

Problem statement: To show the effect of recombinant Erythropoietin (rhEPO) on the ovarian viability and histology in the twisted ischemic ovaries in rats, followed by detorsion. Approach: An experimental study was conducted in primate clinic of the School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from Dec. 2008 to Apr. 2009. Forty, 4 month old Wistar rats are cased in the present study divided into 4 groups. Ovarian ischemia was performed by torsion which was kept stable by using a vascular microclip for 4 h. In group 1, the ovary were surgically removed, fixed and analyzed histochemically. In group 2, the same procedure was repeated after 3 h reperfusion. In the next two groups, the same was performed rhEPO was administrated 400 u kg⁻¹ 1 h after torsion of the ovaries. Results: Thirty-two out of 40 rats were followed. There was a significant difference between groups in the levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), Total Antioxidants (TA), Superoxidase (SOD), Nitric Oxide (NO) glutathione ( p<0.001). Addition of rhEPO maintained the normal histologic appearance in interventional groups compared with controls. Conclusion: Administration of rhEPO was effective in reducing the ischemic effect and free radicals damages of ovarian torsion in rats.