[Study of the prevention of chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in rat model].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) against cyclophosphamide (CTX) induced gonado toxicity in female rats. METHODS: Eighty Fischer 344 rats were divided into four groups which received normal saline, CTX, GnRHa and CTX + GnRHa respectively. We measured the serum estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration monthly, and respectively killed half of the rats two months and three months later to compare the weight of the ovary, the numbers of the follicle and the mean diameter of the follicles. RESULTS: After three months, in the rats in the CTX group, the serum estradiol and FSH were (148.3 +/- 16.5) pmol/L and (16.90 +/- 1.90) U/L respectively. They were significantly higher than (91.8 +/- 9.9) pmol/L and (7.60 +/- 0.30) U/L in the rats in the combination therapy group (P < 0.05). The follicle number of rats in the CTX group was 550 +/- 50 and the follicle number in the combination group was 1250 +/- 160. There was significant difference between two groups (P < 0.05). Between rats in the control and combination therapy groups, there was no obvious difference in all the indexes we examined. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of the CTX and GnRHa in the rat model could decrease the CTX-induced damage to the ovarian function.