Zafirlukast alleviates ovarian histological and biochemical alterations induced by ischemia–reperfusion in rats

Background Torsion of the ovary is a gynecologic emergency syndrome, which has a vital role in the development of ovarian ischemia. The major aim of ischemia treatment is to recover tissue perfusion. However, ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury is associated with reactive oxygen species production. The aim of our work was to study the possible histological and biochemical changes due to I/R injury in rat ovaries and the probable protective effect of zafirlukast as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent. Materials and methods Twenty-four adult female Wister albino rats were distributed into three groups: group I, the control group; group II, in which the rats were subjected to 3 h of ischemia followed by 1 h of reperfusion; and group III, in which the rats were subjected to 3 h of ischemia followed by zafirlukast administration (20 mg/kg, orally) and then 1 h of reperfusion. Groups II and III were divided into two smaller groups from which the ovaries were surgically removed either after 4 h or after 2 weeks of starting the experiment. Levels of malondialdehyde, glutathione, tumor necrosis factor α, and nitric oxide were determined, and histopathological changes were examined. Results Vascular congestion, hemorrhage, edema, increased caspase-3 immunoreaction, a rise in malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, and tumor necrosis factor α levels, and a decrease in reduced glutathione level were observed in the ovaries after I/R, which improved with zafirlukast administration, especially after 2 weeks. Conclusion Zafirlukast reduces the severity of ovarian I/R injury, probably through antiinflammatory action and suppressing oxidative stress.