ARCHIVES OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, cilt.1, sa.1, ss.1-8, 2019 (SCI-Expanded)
Introduction: Cisplatin is an antineoplastic agent, which is thought to act on
tissues with increased levels of reactive oxygen species and decreased levels
of antioxidants. Pycnogenol is a potent antioxidant that is used in medical
conditions caused by oxidative stress. The aim of our study is to demonstrate
the effects of pycnogenol on cisplatin-induced uterine and ovarian damage
in rats.
Material and methods: Wistar albino female rats were randomly divided into 3 groups before the experiment as follows: a 2.5 mg/kg cisplatin
group (CG; n = 10), a 40 mg/kg pycnogenol + 2.5 mg/kg cisplatin group (PCG;
n = 10), and a healthy control group (HG; n = 10). Then, the ovaries and
uteri of the rats were examined to determine malondialdehyde (MDA), total
glutathione (tGSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) biochemical levels and
the histopathological findings.
Results: Our study demonstrated that, in uterine and ovarian tissues of rats
administered with cisplatin, there was a decrease in the levels of tGSH and
SOD, while MDA was increased; however, it was observed that these ratios
were reversed in the PCG group (p < 0.05). The number of follicles in the ovarian tissues was examined in all 3 groups. When the CG group was compared
with the other two groups, the number of primordial, developing and atretic
follicles was low, but there was no difference in the corpus luteum count.
Conclusions: Pycnogenol pretreatment alleviates cisplatin-induced uterine
and ovarian injury in rats because of its antioxidative effect.