Protective effects of melatonin on ovarium damage in female rats exposed to chronic TCDD (2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioksin)

TCDD and congeners are very dangereous and threating environmental agents for human health. Additionally, in women, TCDD causes toxic effects on reperoductive tissues and causes to infertility, breast and endometrium cancers. The purpose of this study was to determine the protective effects of melatonin on histopathological and biochemical changes in female rat ovary exposed to chronic TCDD. The tissues that were taken at the end of the experimental application were examined by light microscopy and electron microscopy after routine tissue processing and staining procedures. Biochemical parameters were measured by spectrophotometric methods. According to the biochemical results, oxidative stress was observed in the ovary of TCDD group rats. However, oxidative stress was repressed in TCDD + mel group. Histologically, there was a significant decrease in the number of follicle after the primordial phase and corpus luteum in TCDD group, whereas this number was similar to control group in TCDD + mel group. While monitoring morpfologically and structurelly disturbed, apoptotic and necrotic cells in the ovarian tissues of TCDD group, normal cellular structures was observed in TCDD + mel group. All in all, it is concluded that melatonine has a significant protective and ameliorative effect on biochemical and histopathological damage of female rat ovaries exposed to chronic TCDD.