Evaluation effects of allopurinol and FSH on reduction of ischemia-reperfusion injury and on preservation of follicle after heterotopic auto-transplantation of ovarian tissue in mouse.

Purpose: Allopurinol and FSH injection are applied to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury and to increase survival rate for ovarian follicles after ovarian heterotopic autotransplantation in mice.

Methods: Ovarian tissues from 6-week-old mice were grafted into back muscle then collected after 3 weeks. A total of five groups were included in this experiment as follows: control group ( = 5), sham-operated group ( = 5), allopurinol treatment group (AP) ( = 5), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) treatment group ( = 5), as well as, allopurinol and FSH treatment group (APF) ( = 5). We investigated survival, number and development of follicles, vaginal cytology along with plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in grafted ovary.

Results: Total follicles count significantly increased in APF group compared with other treatment groups ( < 0.05). MDA concentration significantly decreased in AP group and APF treatment group compared with sham-operated group. In AP group, vaginal smears showed presence of cornified epithelial cells three-five day after surgery.

Conclusions: We demonstrated that allopurinol, as a XO inhibitor, plays an important role in order to decrease ischemia injury and to increase survival rate for follicles. Also, FSH, as a folliculogenesis and angiogenesis factor, increases development of follicles. It seems that allopurinol can cause re-establishing hypothalamus-pituitary axis and finally can restore estrous cycle earlier than for the sham operated group, so it explains the increasing survival rate for follicles.