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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction
Published on: March 25, 2021
Can Omegaven Avoid the Destructive Effect of Procarbazine Over Ovarian Reserve?
A N Cakir Gungor1,2, S Kara3, K Keskinoglu4,5,6
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Cukurova University Adana Turkey.
Purpose:
Procarbazine, an alkylating agent, depletes ovarian reserve. Omegaven exhibits anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. We aimed to investigate the preventative benefits of Omegaven against the deleterious effects of Procarbazine on the ovaries.
Methods:
Thirty female rats were categorized into groups: Control, n = 6; Omegaven, n = 8; Procarbazine, n = 8; and Procarbazine+Omegaven, n = 8. Biochemical and histological analyses were conducted.
Results:
Total follicle count calculated from evaluated sections is significantly reduced in the Procarbazine group compared to other groups. Immunoreactivities of inflammatory and apoptotic markers were significantly elevated in the Procarbazine group and were diminished significantly in the Procarbazine+Omegaven group. In the Procarbazine group, ultrastructural alterations due to atresia were marked by the presence of lipid droplets, multivesicular bodies, and eosinophil infiltration. The ultrastructural alterations were less pronounced in the Procarbazine + Omegaven group. In the Procarbazine group, prooxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic markers in ovarian tissue were elevated, while antioxidative indicators were significantly diminished. Blood chemistry analyses yielded comparable results. AMH levels were markedly reduced in the Procarbazine Group compared to the control group. The AMH levels in the Procarbazine + Omegaven group exhibit a rise significantly in blood serum samples.
Conclusions:
Omegaven is a promising pharmacological agent for mitigating the deleterious effects of Procarbazine on ovarian reserve.
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