Comparison of the protective roles of L-carnitine and amifostine against radiation-induced acute ovarian damage by histopathological and biochemical methods

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the radioprotective efficacies of L-carnitine (LC) and amifostine against radiation-induced acute ovarian damage.

Materials and methods: Forty-five, 3-month-old Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to six groups. Control (CONT, n = 7); irradiation alone RT: radiation therapy (RT, n = 8); amifostine plus irradiation (AMI + RT, n = 8); LC plus irradiation (LC + RT, n = 8); LC and sham irradiation (LC, n = 7); and amifostine and sham irradiation (AMI, n = 7). The rats in the AMI + RT, LC + RT and RT groups were irradiated with a single dose of 20 Gy to the whole abdomen. LC (300 mg/kg) and amifostine (200 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally 30 min before irradiation. Five days after irradiation, both antral follicles and corpus luteum in the right ovaries were counted, and tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) were measured.

Results: Irradiation significantly decreased antral follicles and corpus luteum (P: 0.005 and P < 0.0001). LC increased the median number of antral follicles and corpus luteum (P: 0.009 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Amifostine improved median corpus luteum numbers but not antral follicle (P < 0.000, P > 0.05). The level of MDA and AOPP significantly increased after irradiation (P = 0.001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). MDA and AOPP levels were significantly reduced by LC (P: 0.003, P < 0.0001) and amifostine (P < 0.0001, P: 0.018). When comparing CONT group with AMI + RT and LC + RT groups, MDA and AOPP levels were similar (P > 0.005). The levels of both MDA and AOPP were also similar when LC + RT is compared with AMI + RT group (P > 0.005).

Conclusions: L-carnitine and amifostine have a noteworthy and similar radioprotective effect against radiation-induced acute ovarian toxicity.