Cyclophosphamide-induced rat ovarian damage and expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor in the damaged ovaries / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate ovarian follicular damage induced by chemotherapeutic agents and gonadotropin- releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) expression in the damaged ovaries in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two groups of adult SD rats were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of a single-dose cyclophosphamide and saline, respectively, and 8 weeks later, the ovaries were taken for observing the ovarian damages. The distribution of GnRHR was detected with immunohistochemistry, and RT-PCR was used to determine the expression of GnRHR mRNA in the rat ovaries.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Massive primordial follicular loss occurred in the ovaries of rats exposed to cyclophosphamide with also evident stromal ovarian blood vessel damages and focal fibrosis. Both the protein and mRNA expressions of GnRHR were detected in normal rat ovaries, but in rats exposed to cyclophosphamide, the expressions were significantly lowered in the ovaries (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Low-level GnRHR expressions in the ovaries of rats with cyclophosphamide exposure suggest microenvironment disturbances in the damaged rat ovaries in advanced stage of chemotherapy.</p>