MK-7 Protects Against Ovarian Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in a Rat Torsion–Detorsion Model: Potential Benefits for Ovarian Reserve and Fertility Preservation
MK-7 Shows Protective Effects Against Ovarian Torsion-Induced Ischemia-Reperfusion (I/R) Injury
1. Study Design
The study was conducted in rats and included four experimental groups:
| Group | Description |
|---|---|
| Control Group (n=8) | Received sunflower oil for 7 days |
| Sham Group (n=8) | Underwent laparotomy and closure only |
| Torsion–Detorsion (T/D) Group (n=8) | Subjected to ovarian ischemia-reperfusion surgery |
| T/D + MK-7 Group (n=8) | Received MK-7 at 30 mg/kg for 7 days following T/D surgery |
2. Results
2-1. MK-7 Restored Serum AMH Levels and Preserved Ovarian Reserve
| Parameter | Control | Sham | T/D | T/D + MK-7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serum AMH (ng/mL) | 4.4 ± 1.69 | 4.2 ± 1.7 | 2.2 ± 0.4 | 4.1 ± 1.2 |
Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) is a key biomarker used to assess ovarian reserve.
In the ovarian torsion-detorsion group, AMH levels significantly decreased following ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, MK-7 treatment restored AMH concentrations to near-normal levels.
These findings suggest that MK-7 may help reduce follicular damage and preserve ovarian reserve after ovarian ischemic injury.
2-2. MK-7 Increased Antioxidant Enzyme Activity
| Parameter | Control | Sham | T/D | T/D + MK-7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOD (U/mg protein) | 82.1 ± 17.6 | 91.9 ± 27.1 | 59.5 ± 15.8 | 89.0 ± 12.8 |
| GSH-Px (IU/mg protein) | 5.9 ± 1.2 | 5.7 ± 1.6 | 3.5 ± 0.9 | 4.9 ± 0.8 |
| CAT (IU/mL) | 266.4 ± 78.3 | 271.8 ± 43.4 | 172.8 ± 49.7 | 259.9 ± 40 |
MK-7 treatment significantly restored the activity of major antioxidant enzymes, including:
- Superoxide dismutase (SOD)
- Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)
- Catalase (CAT)
These results indicate that MK-7 may reduce oxidative stress and create a protective intracellular environment within ovarian tissue.
2-3. MK-7 Reduced Inflammatory Cytokine Levels
| Parameter | Control | Sham | T/D | T/D + MK-7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TNF-α (pg/mg protein) | 1490 ± 239 | 1560 ± 230 | 4500 ± 540 | 1700 ± 320 |
| IL-1β (pg/mg protein) | 1780 ± 310 | 1950 ± 430 | 5300 ± 850 | 2000 ± 450 |
| IL-6 (pg/mg tissue) | 940 ± 135 | 950 ± 190 | 1750 ± 340 | 1000 ± 220 |
Ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury triggers a strong inflammatory response characterized by elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as:
- TNF-α
- IL-1β
- IL-6
MK-7 administration significantly reduced these inflammatory mediators, suggesting potent anti-inflammatory effects and improved tissue stabilization within the ovary.
2-4. Histopathological Findings: Reduced Ovarian Damage and Better Follicle Preservation
| Group | Histopathological Findings |
|---|---|
| Control | Normal ovarian structure with follicles at multiple developmental stages |
| Sham | No significant structural changes |
| T/D | Reduced healthy follicles, increased atretic follicles and corpus luteum, vascular congestion, stromal edema, inflammatory infiltration, and focal hemorrhage |
| T/D + MK-7 | Preserved ovarian architecture, significantly increased healthy follicles, reduced follicular loss, decreased vascular congestion, edema, and inflammatory infiltration |
Histological analysis demonstrated that MK-7 not only improved biochemical markers but also protected the structural integrity of ovarian tissue.
3. Conclusion
This study demonstrated that MK-7 (Menaquinone-7) significantly attenuated ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury caused by ovarian torsion-detorsion in rats.
MK-7 treatment was associated with:
- Restoration of ovarian reserve markers (AMH)
- Enhanced antioxidant defense
- Reduction of oxidative stress
- Suppression of inflammatory cytokines
- Preservation of ovarian tissue structure
These findings suggest that MK-7 may have promising therapeutic potential in ovarian protection, fertility preservation, and maintenance of ovarian function.
Further long-term fertility studies and human clinical trials are needed to determine whether MK-7 can become a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury.