Investigation of Lycium barbarum Effects on Ovarium Damage Exposed to N-Methyl-N-Nitrourea

N-Methyl-N-nitrourea (MNU), is one of the N-nitroso compounds that people are commonly exposed to in various exogenous ways such as diet, tobacco smoke, cosmetics, household goods, indoor air, occupational exposure, etc. It is known that the compound damages organs and tissues in the body, and one of the affected structures is the ovarium. Lycium barbarum, used in medication in ancient China, has become more popular in recent years. Previous studies have mentioned that polysaccharide ingredients are the most bioactive parts of Lycium barbarum. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on ovarian tissue damage exposed to MNU. In accordance with this purpose, a total of 12 21-day-old female Wistar Albino rats were divided into two groups: sham and treatment. The animals were administrated with 50 mg/kg MNU (i.p.) on days 21, 28, 35, and 42. The treatment group was treated with 800 mg/kg LBP via intragastric for 30 days. At the end of the study, animals were sacrificed under general anaesthesia, and the ovarian tissues were harvested. Shrinkage of follicles, lytic oocytes, and disintegrated stroma parameters were evaluated histopathologically. The genetic assessment of the Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-2/Bax ratio, Caspase 3, p53, and p27 expression levels were determined. The histopathological parameters between the groups were statistically significant (for all parameters p < 0.001). Moreover, the Bcl-2, Bcl-2/Bax ratio, and p53 relative fold changes were significantly increased in the treatment group (p < 0.001, p = 0.045, and p = 0.011, respectively). The results revealed that LBP has ameliorative effects on MNU-induced ovarian tissue damage. Further studies are required to clarify the main underlying mechanisms.