The effect of hysterectomy types on vaginal length, vaginal shortening rate and FSFI scores.

OBJECTIVE: Vaginal length (VL), size and width may show individual differences among women. Hysterectomy causes VL shortening in patients, and this shortening varies according to the type of hysterectomy performed. Some studies in literature have shown that the shortened VL after hysterectomy may cause dyspareunia and have a negative effect on female sexuality. The aim of this study is to compare preoperative and postoperative vaginal lengths, vaginal shortening rate (VSR) not used before in the literature, and postoperative sexual functions according to hysterectomy types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study, which included 136 [55 Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH), 33 Vaginal Hysterectomy (VH), 48 Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy (TLH)] sexually active patients under the age of 60 who underwent hysterectomy, the patients were divided into three groups according to the type of hysterectomy performed. Groups were compared in terms of demographic variables, preoperative/postop and control VL, vaginal shortening rate and The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores. RESULTS: Vaginal lengths measured after TLH was longer and vaginal lengths measured after VAH was shorter, the difference was significant (p < 0.01). VSRs were 15.9% in TAH group, 10.9% in VH group and 8.3% in TLH group (p < 0.05). Total FSFI score was higher in TLH group than TAH and VH group (p < 0.01). Group of VSR>15% had statistically significantly lower FSFI scores in lubrication, orgasm, pain and total score than both the VSR<10% group and the VSR 10-15% group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Calculating the VSR after hysterectomy instead of postoperative VL measurement will allow us to obtain more individual and accurate results in predicting postoperative sexual functions. We found that TLH is the best hysterectomy method in terms of preserving sexual functions due to less loss of vaginal tissue in the postoperative period from these three techniques that are frequently.

Dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis and ischemic modified albumin levels in isolated oligohydramnios.

OBJECTIVE: Oligohydramnios is defined as amniotic fluid index in ultrasonographic measurement is less than 5 percentile according to gestational age, the amniotic fluid volume is ≤ 5 cm, or if the single deepest dial is < 2 cm. The condition of oligohydramnios that not with fetal structural/chromosomal abnormalities, intrauterine growth retardation, intrauterine infection and maternal disease is described as isolated oligohydramnios (IO). The aim of this study is to examine whether oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have a place in the pathophysiology of IO. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective case-control study, a total of 126 participants were included. The patient group consisted of 65 patients who were diagnosed IO, and the control group consisted of 61 healthy normal pregnants. Native thiol (-SH), total thiol (-SH + -SS), dynamic disulfide (-SS), IMA values from maternal serum were measured and compared between groups. RESULTS: Maternal serum -SH and -SH + -SS values were significantly lower in the IO group than in the control group (409.47 ± 55.36 µmol/L vs. 437.40 ± 48.68 µmol/L, p = 0.03 and 457.40 ± 63.01 µmol/L vs. 484.59 ± 52.75 µmol/L, p = 0.01). In the IO group when -SS/-SH and -SS/-SH + -SS ratio was found to be statistically significantly higher than control group (5.84 ± 1.1 vs 5.41 ± 0.71, p = 0.01 and 5.2 ± 0.88 vs 4.8 ± 0.58, p = 0.01), -SH/-SH + -SS ratio was significantly lower (89.56 ± 1.7 vs 90.24 ± 1.16, p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in terms of -SS value (p = 0.66). IMA value was significantly higher in the IO group than control group (0.76 ± 0.10 ABSU vs 0.68 ± 0.06, p < 0.01). It is seen as a result of ROC analysis that -SH, -SH + -SS, -SS/-SH, -SS/-SH + -SS, -SH/-SH + -SS and IMA values have a diagnostic value for IO (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The thiol/disulfide balance shifted towards oxidative stress in IO compared to control group. So oxidative stress and ROS have a place in the pathophysiology of IO.

Protective effect of Coenzyme Q10 on oxidative ovarian and uterine damage induced by methotrexate in rats.

Methotrexate (MTX) has toxic effects on the uterus and ovaries via oxidative stress. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an important component in electron transport in the mitochondria and an antioxidant in cellular metabolism through the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The aim of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of CoQ10 on MTX-induced utero-ovarian damage and oxidative stress in rats.In this experimental study, 30 albino Wistar female rats were divided randomly into three groups. Once a day for a month, 10 mg/kg of CoQ10 was orally administered to the rats in the MTX+CoQ10 group, while the same volume of olive oil was administered orally to the other two groups. One hour thereafter, 20 mg/kg of MTX was injected intraperitoneally into the rats in the MTX and MTX+CoQ10 groups; the remaining group was the control. At the end of the month, biochemical and histopathologic examinations were performed on the extracted uteri and ovaries. In the uterine ovarian tissues of the animals in the MTX group, there was an increase in oxidative stress mediators and a decrease in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mediators, but these trends were reversed in the MTX+CoQ10 group, demonstrating the antioxidant effects of CoQ10. MTX leads to oxidative stress-related ovarian and uterine injury, and CoQ10 may be useful for protecting ovarian and uterine tissue from such injury.

The ameliorative effect of lutein on ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to investigate biochemical and histopathological effects of lutein on the ovarian ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. BACKGROUND: Reactive oxygen species and cytokines have a very important role in the pathogenesis of I/R injury. Lutein and its derivatives may show an anti-inflammatory effect in relation to the decrease in inflammatory cytokines and increase in antioxidant enzymes. METHODS: Wistar albino female rats were randomly divided into three groups before surgery as follows: I/R group (IRG; n = 6), 1 mg/kg lutein + I/R group (LIRG; n = 6), and a healthy control group scheduled for a sham operation (SG; n = 6). The condition of ovarian ischemia was created by vascular clips. After two hours, the ovary was reperfused. Then, cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, malondialdehyde and total glutathione levels were examined in ovary tissues of rats. RESULTS: As the results of our study demonstrated, in ovarian tissues of animals after I/R, there was an increase in the levels of malondialdehyde and cyclooxygenase-2, while total glutathione and cyclooxygenase-1 were decreased. At the same time, it has been observed however that these ratios are reversed in the LIRG group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lutein ameliorates the I/R-induced ovarian injury in rats by its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities (Fig. 2, Ref. 39).