Investigation of the Effects of Carvacrol on Experimental Ischemia/Reperfusion Model of Rat Ovaries by Immunohistochemistry

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian torsion is a gynecologic problem that presents as acute lower abdominal pain. As a result, blood flow to the ovaries decreases and ischemia develops. Many medications have been used to treat ovarian torsion, including carvacrol. We conducted an experimental ischemia/reperfusion (torsion-detorsion) model using rats to observe the effects of carvacrol on ovarian torsion by immunohistochemical study. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-two female Wistar rats were randomly categorized into 4 groups (8 rats per group): control group, ischemia group, ischemia/reperfusion group, and ischemia/reperfusion + carvacrol-treated group. Ischemia was created by sealing the left ovaries for 3 hours, followed by 3-hour reperfusion. For the ischemia/reperfusion + carvacrol-treated group, 100 mg/kg carvacrol was administered orally in 2 mL 0.9% NaCl after the reperfusion. All animals were sacrificed, and ovarian tissues were dissected for routine paraffin wax embedding tissue protocol. RESULTS: Control groups showed normal ovarian histological structures. In the ischemia group, hyperplastic granulosa cell vascular dilation, severe hemorrhage, and inflammation were observed. The ischemia/reperfusion group showed edema, inflammation, congestion, degenerated follicles, and cells with pyknotic nuclei. In the ischemia/reperfusion + carvacrol group, degenerative changes and vascular pathologies were decreased in ovarian tissues. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was expressed in degenerated follicles and vascular endothelial cells in the ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion group. Expression of ET-1 was decreased in follicular cells but negative in stromal and luteal cells in the ischemia/reperfusion + carvacrol group. ADAMTS-5 expression was positive in degenerated follicles, apoptotic cells, and inflammatory cells in the ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion groups. In the ischemia/reperfusion + carvacrol group, corona cells and a few inflammatory cells around vessels showed positive ADAMTS-5 expression. CONCLUSION: ET-1 can induce angiogenic development with the decrease of degenerative development and inflammation in the carvacrol group. ADAMTS-5 molecule may be a marker of cellular structure and extracellular matrix development in different stages of development of ovarian cells and follicles in ischemia and oxygen deficiency caused by ischemia reperfusion.