The Protective Effect of Testosterone on the Ovarian Reserve During Cyclophosphamide Treatment

Introduction Cyclophosphamide, which is widely used to treat malignant disease, causes ovarian follicular atresia, which leads to premature ovarian insufficiency. The present study evaluated the protective effect of testosterone in preventing the decline in the ovarian reserve during cyclophosphamide treatment. Methods Using the COV434 human granulosa cell line, the protective effect of testosterone against cyclophosphamide was evaluated by immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and an MTS assay. The follicles in mouse ovaries and serum anti-Mullerian hormone were also assessed to evaluate the effects of testosterone. Results Testosterone suppressed the decrease in cell viability and apoptosis caused by cyclophosphamide treatment in vitro. In vivo, the number of atretic follicles in the mouse ovary was significantly lower in the testosterone plus cyclophosphamide group than in the cyclophosphamide alone group (p=0.03). The serum anti-Mullerian hormone was significantly higher in the testosterone plus cyclophosphamide group than in the cyclophosphamide alone group (16.2 [9.7–22.6]) vs 11.2 [8.9–12.1], p