Author/Authors :
Sameni Hamidreza نويسنده Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran , Zarbakhsh Sam نويسنده Department of Anatomy, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sci- ences, Tehran, Iran , Yousefi Behpour نويسنده Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran , Tabrizi Amjad Mohammadhasan نويسنده Research Center of Nervous System Stem Cells and
Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Semnan
University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran , Aldaghi Mohammadreza نويسنده Research Center of Nervous System Stem Cells and
Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Semnan
University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
Abstract :
Background One of the important side effects in spinal cord
injuries in both genders is sexual dysfunction. This study aimed at
investigating histopathological changes of ovaries in the chronic phase
after spinal cord injury. Methods Animals (adult female rats) were
divided to the following groups, Control (Co), Sham (Sh), and Spinal
Cord Injury (SCI); each group contained 18 rats. The spinal cord of SCI
animals was transected by the bilateral laminectomy method on level T9,
while the rats of the sham group were incised in the same location
without any spinal cord injury. Animals were sacrified at 7th, 14th and
21st day postsurgical intervention, then the body weight, and the weight
and volume of ovaries were measured. The slices were stained by
hematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid Schiff methods. The
histomorphometric changes of the diameter of the follicle and ovum, and
the thickness of granulosa layer were measured in different kinds of
follicles including, Unilaminar Primary Follicle (UPF), Multilaminar
Primary Follicle (MPF), Secondary Follicle (SF), and Tertiary Follicle
(TF). Results The results showed that the animal weights were decreased
in three SCI groups (P = 0.018). In the SCI groups, the diameter of
follicle and ovum and the thickness of granulosa layer were
significantly decreased in different kinds of follicles (P = 0.012).
Also the thickness of zona pellucida and theca interna were
significantly decreased in UPF, SF, and TF in the SCI groups on 14th and
21st day (P = 0.024). The histopathologic examination revealed
widespread ovarian follicle atresia in the SCI groups on the 14th and
21st day, including numerous cell debris and inflammatory cells in the
antrum atretic follicles. The ovarian stroma showed edema, fibrosis,
hypercellularity, and vasodilation in the SCI group, compared to the
sham or control groups. Conclusions The histopathlogic data indicated
that after spinal cord injury many histologic parameter changes occurred
and hetrogenity of ovarian structure increased. These changes may be
caused by dysfunction of the autonomic system and the modification in
amount of the ovarian neurotransmiters.
