Objective: Ovarian torsion is a gynecological disorder that causes ischemia-reperfusion injuries in the ovary. Our study investigated berberine’s short- and long-term effects on ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injuries.Methods: This study included 28 Wistar albino female rats weighing 180 to 220 g, which were divided into four groups: sham (S), torsion/detorsion (T/D), torsion/ detorsion+single dose berberine (T/D+Bb), and torsion/detorsion+15 days berberine (T/D+15Bb). The torsion and detorsion model was applied in all non-sham groups. In the T/D+Bb group, a single dose of berberine was administered, while in the T/D+15Bb group, berberine was administered over a period of 15 days. After the rats were euthanized, their ovaries were excised. The left ovaries were used for histopathologic evaluation, which included ovarian injury scoring and follicle count, while the right ovaries were used for biochemical analyses (tissue transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β] and alpha-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] levels).Results: The histopathologic evaluation scores for the ovaries were significantly lower in the T/D+B group (p<0.05) and the T/D+15B group (p<0.005) than in the T/D group. The follicle counts in the T/D group were lower than those in both the sham and treated groups (p<0.005). The TGF-β levels were significantly lower in the T/D+15B group (p<0.005), whereas the α-SMA levels did not show a significant difference.Conclusion: Both short- and long-term berberine use could potentially have therapeutic effects on ovarian torsion. Long-term berberine use exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TGF-β levels, thereby preventing ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Therefore, we suggest that long-term berberine use could be beneficial for ovarian torsion.

We conducted a biochemical and histological evaluation of whether berberine has a protective and/or therapeutic effect in a cyclophosphamide-induced premature ovarian failure (POF) model. We divided 28 Wistar albino female rats into 4 groups [control group, POF group, cyclophosphamide (CP)+berberine (Bb) group, and POF+Bb group]. The POF model was established by intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg CP on day 1 followed by 8 mg/kg/day CP dissolved in saline for the following 14 days. The CP+Bb group received Bb concurrently for two weeks with CP. The POF+Bb group received berberine for two weeks following the completion of CP administration. Left ovaries were used for histopathological evaluation and right ovaries were used for biochemical analysis [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 levels in tissue]. Ovarian damage scoring was significantly higher in the POF group than in the other groups (p<0.005). In the POF group, primordial and primary follicle counts were the lowest, while secondary and corpus luteum counts were the highest (p<0.005). There was no significant difference between the other groups. The POF group had significantly elevated levels of TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 in the biochemistry results (p<0.005). We demonstrated that berberine could be effective in the protection and treatment of POF by reducing proinflammatory cytokines. We believe that our study can make a considerable contribution to the literature in terms of POF protection and/or treatment.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage following detorsion treatment, tissue fibrosis, and adhesions cause secondary tissue damage in the ovaries. Many studies have been evaluated to minimize antioxidant damage in ovarian reserve loss while minimizing I/R damage. However, no study observed long-term effects on the ovarian torsion model in rats. In this study, we evaluated the profibrotic effects of A. cepa on an ovarian torsion model on rats. Group I (n=7) rats were the sham group. Group II (n=7) rats were the torsion group and Group III (n=7) rats were the torsion + A. cepa group. To observe the long-term effects of allium cepa, rats were fed for 21 days. Cellular damage I/R is evaluated by histopathological damage score, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) is measured to analyze the profibrotic effect. A. cepa altered cellular damage due to improvement in the histopathological damage score with A. cepa intake. However, the profibrotic mediators TGF-β1 and α-SMA are non- significantly changed by the A. cepa (p=0.477 and p=0.185 respectively). A. cepa is a potent protective on cellular tissue, minimizing I/R damage on ovarian tissue histologically. Our study implies that A. cepa does not affect fibrosis-related mediators in the rat ovary.

Diabetes mellitus can cause spontaneous abortion, neonatal diseases, congenital malformations, and death. There are many studies related to the damage of in vitro hyperglycemia on embryogenesis in ...

Objective: Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease among reproductive-age women. Numerous hypotheses exist regarding the pathogenesis of endometriosis. In Turkey, the consumption of Allium cepa (commonly known as the “onion cure”) is a popular treatment employed to alleviate a variety of gynecological disorders. Methods: In this study, our objective was to assess the therapeutic mechanisms of the onion bulb A. cepa using an autologous endometriosis model in Sprague-Dawley rats. Previous research has shown that A. cepa possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic properties. We evaluated the pathological condition of endometriotic implants by employing hematoxylin-eosin staining and Ki67 immunohistochemistry analysis. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) have been identified as profibrotic markers that are highly overexpressed in endometriotic tissues relative to eutopic endometrial tissue. Furthermore, TGF-β1 influences the differentiation and progression of endometriosis. To quantify profibrotic activity, we measured TGF-β1 and α-SMA using the immunosorbent assay method.Results: Lower histologic evaluation scores for endometriotic implants were observed in the group receiving high-dose A. cepa relative to the other groups. Ki67 expression was reduced following the high-dose A. cepa regimen, which consisted of 30% A. cepa and 70% normal feed. However, no statistically significant differences in TGF-β1 or α-SMA levels were observed among the groups (p=0.7 and p=0.778, respectively). Conclusion: The findings suggest that A. cepa could serve as a therapeutic agent in endometriosis treatment, as evidenced by the reduction in proliferative potential. Nevertheless, A. cepa was not associated with significantly lower levels of endometriosis-associated TGF-β1 or α-SMA.

The dosage-dependent prenatal caffeine exposure adversely affects levels of integrin αVβ3 and MMP-9 in a rat model of embryo implantation