The effect of adenosine triphosphate on bevacizumab-induced ovarian damage and reproductive dysfunction in rats

We investigated the effect of ATP’s protection against possible bevacizumab-induced ovarian damage and reproductive dysfunction in female albino Wistar rats. A total of 42 rats, 36 females, and 6 males were used in the experiment. Normal saline (0.9% NaCl) was injected as a solvent to the Bevacizumab (BVZ; n = 12) and Control (n = 6) groups. 25 mg/kg ATP was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to the ATP + bevacizumab (ABZ; n = 12) group. One hour after ATP and solvent administration, 10 mg/kg bevacizumab was i.p. injected to the ABZ and BVZ groups. Bevacizumab was administered once a day every two weeks; ATP was administered one a day for 30 days. At the end of this period, six rats from each group were sacrificed with high dose of anesthesia (thiopental sodium 50 mg/kg) and biochemical and histopathological examinations were performed in ovarian tissues. Mature male rats were kept in the laboratory for two months to breed the remaining female animals. The values showed that the oxidant parameters increased in the ovarian tissue of the BVZ group compared to the healthy controls and the ABZ group, while antioxidant parameters decreased. The number of breeding animals was significantly decreased in the BVZ group compared to the Control and the ABZ groups. This result suggests that ATP may be effective in preventing oxidative damage to the ovaries and infertility induced by bevacizumab. © 2021, Slovak Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.