Effect of curcumin on bovine ovarian cortical strips cultured in vitro with paclitaxel

Objective: Despite increasing cancer cases, studies on the negative effects by the help of chemotherapeutic agents on fertility have increased with the increase in survival rate thanks to early diagnosis and treatment. Paclitaxel(PTX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent in many cancer types and is known to control the upper steps of Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, which are known to play important roles in cell proliferation and apoptosis. The protective effects of curcumin (CUR), a natural compound, on the ovary and its positive effects on various drug treatments have been shown in the literature. Within the scope of this information, we aimed to see the expression of Akt, pAkt, MAPK and pMAPK PTX and CUR with immunofluorescent markers in our study. Method: In our study, we used in vitro tissue culture, which is a method that is currently used and allows us to the experiment in a controlled environment. Cortical strips obtained from ovarian tissues from six heifers were taken into tissue culture for 6 days by forming 7 experimental groups (Control, DMSO, PTX (0.1 µM), CUR1µg/ml, CUR10 µg/ml, PTX+CUR 1µg/ml, PTX+CUR 10µg/ml) in which we aimed to see the effect of PTX and CUR. Results were analyzed with the ImageJ software. Results: There was no significant difference between the control and DMSO groups in any of our groups. It has been observed that PTX increases Akt and p-Akt expression, does not effect MAPK expression, and decreases p-MAPK expression. As a result of treatment with CUR, we observed that 1 µg/ml CUR brought Akt expression to the level the control group, 10 µg/ml CUR increased it, and MAPK expression increased at both CUR doses. We observed that p-Akt and p-MAPK expressions approached the control group at both CUR doses. Conclusion: As a result of our study, we think that CUR may prevent follicle damage caused by PTX, but more detailed studies are needed to understand the mechanism of action. Key words: Paclitaxel (PTX), Curcumin (CUR), MAPK, Akt