Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields and N-acetylcysteine on transplantation of vitrified mouse ovarian tissue

ABSTRACT

In this experimental study, adult female NMRI mice were randomly assigned to five groups: control ;(fresh ovarian transplantation, OT); sham ;(vitrified OT); NAC ;(vitrified OT treated with N-acetyl cysteine, NAC); EMF ;(vitrified OT treated with pulsed electromagnetic fields, PEMF); and NAC+EMF ;(vitrified OT combined with NAC and PEMF). We conducted histological assessments to evaluate follicle reservation and vascularization. Furthermore, we examined the relative expression of Fgf-2, Vegf, Tnf-α, Il-6, Il-1, and Cd31 genes on days 2 and 7 after OT. Additionally, we measured total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). Our results demonstrated that NAC, PEMF, and NAC+PEMF treatments significantly increased the number of follicles. Moreover, we observed a more pronounced development of vascularization in the NAC, PEMF, and PEMF+NAC groups. The relative expression levels of Fgf-2, Vegf, Tnf-α, Il-1β, and Il-6 were significantly elevated in the NAC, PEMF, and NAC+PEMF groups. Notably, TAC levels decreased significantly in the NAC group compared to the control group. Additionally, the MDA level showed a significant decrease in the PEMF+NAC group when compared to the other groups. Overall, the combination of NAC and PEMF exhibited a synergistic effect in promoting angiogenesis and protecting against oxidative stress and inflammation during OT.

KEYWORDS:

• Ovary
• transplantation
• electromagnetic field
• N-acetylcysteine
• mouse

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Mr. Aboutaleb Kousha for providing technical assistance.

Author’s contributions

Kh. R.; Performed experiments and collected data. S.Z.; Participated in developing the concept and study design, analyzed data, and revised the manuscript. M.H.K.; Conducted histological experiments, interpreted the data, and prepared the paper draft. M.N.; Contributed extensively to the design of the study and conducted molecular experiments. All authors participated in the finalization of the manuscript and approved the final draft.

Data availability statement

The datasets (raw data) generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethics approval

Animal experiments were approved by the Ethical Committee of Damghan University (Ref. number: IR.DU.REC.1400.010).

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. This work was supported by Damghan University, Damghan, Iran.