The effect of melatonin applications on offspring in experimentally induced uterine torsion in pregnant rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of melatonin ap-plication on rat fetus survival after experimentally induced uterine torsion. With this aim, uterine torsion was experimentally generated in 35 rats between day 18 and 19 of pregnancy. The animals were randomly divided into five groups, and melatonin was administered prior to torsion, at the time of torsion, and during detorsion (10 mg/kg IP); in this way, we could determine the best time for melatonin administration to promote foetal survival. The offspring born out of these mothers were followed subsequently, and the 1-month-old male rats and female rats that had reached puberty were decapi-tated. Tissue samples, including the organs of the offspring, were evaluated by histopathology and brain tissue apoptosis was inves-tigated by TUNEL. In the application group, 28.6% of offspring in the 4th group were aborted, and 70.6% of the offspring in the 5thgroup died; these outcomes were not statistically significantly dif-ferent from the outcomes in the controls. No congenital anomalies were observed in the offspring of any group, no microscopic lesions could be detected in the organs, and no apoptosis was found in the brains. As a result, melatonin administration did not have any effect on offspring born from rats with uterine torsion.