Antioxidant effects of l-citrullin on histopathological damage caused by experimental ovarian torsion

AIM: Ovarian torsion is defined as the rotation of the ovary around itself and sometimes around the tuba uterina. With torsion, the blood flow to the ovarian tissue decreases and if this process continues, ischemia and necrosis may occur in the ovary. Surgical treatment of ovarian torsion is detorsioning of the torsioned area. Ovarian tissue damage occurs due to the formation of oxygen radicals in the ovarian tissue due to reperfusion. In this study, we investigated the effects of L-Citrullin, which can be used in the early period in ovarian torsion in rads, on ischemic damage in ovarian tissue. METHOD: A total of 21 Sprague-Dawley species (200-250gr) female rads were used in the study. A total of 3 groups were formed, each containing 7 rad, control, ischemia reperfusion (IR) (OI group) and IR + L-Citrulline (OL group). The study group was given 200 mg/kg L citrulline intraperitoneally 30 minutes before reperfusion after 3 hours of ischemia. Then, histopathological evaluations were made from the removed ovarian tissue. In the blood samples taken, Total Thiol (TT), Native Thiol (NT), Disulfide (SS), SS/SH; %, Estradiol (E2) levels were measured biochemically. Evaluation between 3 groups was made with Kruskal Wallis test, comparisons between two groups were made with Mann Whitney U test and P<0.05 was accepted as significant. FINDINGS: In the histopathological examinations of the ovarian tissue, significant follicular degeneration, hemorrhage, vacuolization, intercellular edema, inflammation and vascular stasis were observed in the IR group. In the L citrulline group administered during IR injury, significant improvement was observed in hemorrhage in follicle degeneration, vacuolization, intercellular edema and vascular stasis (P<0.05). When evaluated biochemically, there was no significant difference between the three groups in terms of total thiol levels (P:0.130). Native Thiol (NT) levels were found to be significantly higher in the control group than the other groups (P:0.026), and no significant difference was found between the OI and OL groups in terms of NT (P:0.110). Although disulfide (SS) levels were significantly lower in the control group than the other groups (P:0.002), no significant difference was found between the OI and OL groups in terms of SS levels (P:0.142). Disulfide/Native Thiol (SS/SH) ratio was found to be significantly lower in the control group than the other two groups (P:0.002), but no significant difference was found between the OI and OL groups (P:0.749). Estradiol(E2) levels were found to be significantly higher in the control group than the other two groups (P:0.001), and no significant difference was found between the OI and OL groups in terms of E2 levels (P:0.179). RESULT: It was found that L Citrulline did not reduce oxidative stress radicals after ovarian ischemia, but it had healing effects on ovarian tissue histopathologically. It can be used as a preventative in preventing and treating ischemia and reperfusion injury, but more studies upon it are needed. KEYWORDS: Ischemia reperfusion injury, L citrulline, Ovary, Antioxidant