Ozone therapy: a potential therapeutic adjunct for improving female reproductive health

Abstract

Ozone is emerging as a new adjunct therapeutic agent for female infertility. We here present a review of the literature, to date, pertaining to the effect of ozone therapy on tubal, ovarian, endometrial, and vaginal factors that could potentially affect female fertility. It also presents data pertaining to the relationship of ozone therapy on pelvic adhesion formation. Most data were performed on animals and very few human studies existed in the literature. Results suggested that ozone therapy could have beneficial effect on tubal occlusion, could protect from endometritis and vaginitis, might protect ovaries from ischemia and oocyte loss and finally might lead to less formation of pelvic adhesions. There is a critical need for human studies pertaining to ozone therapy, especially using safe methods of administration, such as transdermally or intravaginally, on female fertility.

Keywords: adhesions; fallopian tube; infertility; oocyte; ovary; ozone therapy; reproduction; uterus; vagina.

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of the molecular structure of ozone. Note: Ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms, while the oxygen in the air is made up of only two atoms.

Figure 2

Mechanisms by which ozone might improve female reproduction. Note: IL-6: Interleukin-6; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α.