Prevention of paclitaxel and cisplatin induced ovarian damage in rats by a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the protective effect of GnRH agonist for the prevention of ovarian reserve during treatment with paclitaxel and cisplatin. DESIGN Experimental study. SETTINGS University-based research laboratory. ANIMAL(S) Seventy female Wistar-Albino rats. INTERVENTION(S) Each group consisted of 10 rats. Group 1 served as controls. Groups without GnRH agonist (groups 2, 3, and 4) were administered paclitaxel and cisplatin, respectively; the remaining groups (groups 5, 6, and 7) were given the same regimens with GnRH agonist. The GnRH agonist (leuprolide acetate; 2.5 microg/d subcutaneously for 5 weeks) was started four weeks before chemotherapy to achieve anovulation. Paclitaxel (7.5 mg/kg) and cisplatin (5 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally on the 28th day as a single dose. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) One week after the chemotherapy, the animals were euthanized and primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary follicle counts were evaluated. RESULT(S) Primordial, primary, and tertiary follicle counts in group 5 (paclitaxel plus GnRH agonist) and tertiary follicles in groups 2 and 3 had not decreased, but there was a significant decrease in other treatment groups compared with controls (P < 0.05). Binary comparison between all groups demonstrated that the primordial follicle count in group 5 was comparable to those of the controls. CONCLUSION(S) Paclitaxel plus GnRH agonist treatment may be an appropriate option for patients deserving further fertility in the preservation of primordial follicles.