Effects of Pre- and Post-treatment of Idebenone on the Side Effects of the Chemotherapy Model with Cyclophosphamide in the Rat Ovary.

Cyclophosphamide treatment during chemotherapy can harm the ovaries and result in infertility in females. Idebenone, a synthetic antioxidant, has protective properties in various cells and tissues. This study aimed to investigate whether pre- and post-treatments with idebenone could help preserve the function and structure of rat ovaries in the face of the side effects of cyclophosphamide treatment. Female Wistar rats were divided into four groups: vehicle, cyclophosphamide control, idebenone pre-treatment, and idebenone post-treatment. Treatments lasted 14 days, followed by evaluation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels, ovarian follicle counts, and expression of GDF9, Bcl-2, and Bax proteins. The results of SOD activity, MDA and AMH levels, number of follicles, and expression of proteins GDF9, Bcl-2, and Bax were significantly more favorable in the experimental groups compared to the control group, and pre-treatment with idebenone was more effective than post-treatment. The results indicate that idebenone may mitigate the side effects of cyclophosphamide on the ovary, thereby improving its function and structure by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis.