Protective effects of telmisartan on ischemia/reperfusion injury of rat ovary: biochemical and histopathologic evaluation

Objective: To evaluate the effects of telmisartan as an antioxidant and for its tissue protective properties and to study the biochemical and histopathologic changes in experimental ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion injuries in rat ovaries. Design: Experimental study. Setting: Experimental Surgery laboratory in a University department. Animal(s): Forty-eight female adult rats. Intervention(s): I: sham operation, II bilateral ovarian ischemia; III: 3 h ischemia + 3 h reperfusion. IV and V: Rats were administrated Wand 20 mg/kg doses of telmisartan, respectively, before 0.5 h of ischemia, and then ovarian ischemia was applied; after 3 h of ischemia, the ovaries were removed. VI and VII: 3 h ovarian ischemia was applied. 2.5 h after the induction of ischemia, rats were administered the same doses of telmisartan: tit the end of 3 11 of ischemia, the ovaries were removed and a 3 h reperfusion followed. Main Outcome Measure(s): Superoxide dismutase, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and myeloperoxidase activity in rat ovarian tissue; and histopathologic changes in the ovarian tissue of the rats. Result(s): Ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion increased the inducible nitric oxide synthase and myeloperoxidase activity while decreasing the super oxide dismutase activity significantly in comparison with the sham group. Before ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion, telmisartan reversed the trend in inducible nitric oxide synthase activities and the level of myeloperoxidase. Conclusion(s): telmisartan is effective in reversing tissue damage induced by ischemia/reperfusion in ovaries. (Fertil Steril (R) 2010;93:1299-307. (C) 2010 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)