Yasemin AFŞİN, İlhan ÖZDEMİR, Suat ÇAKINA, Şamil ÖZTÜRK
Çukurova Anestezi ve Cerrahi Bilimler Dergisi - 2026;9(3):707-717
Aim: Cadmium (Cd) exposure leads to severe histological damage (follicular atresia, granulosa cell degeneration) and increased oxidative stress in rat ovarian tissue. This study investigates the protective potential of resveratrol (RES) against these toxic effects. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four adult female Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=6): Control (saline), Cd (CdCl?, 1 mg/kg/day i.p. for 10 days), RES (10 mg/kg/day oral gavage for 28 days), and Cd+RES (combined administration). Ovarian tissues were evaluated histologically (H&E staining, semiquantitative H-score), biochemically (MDA, SOD, CAT, GPx), and molecularly (Bax, Bcl-2, Nrf2, and HO-1 mRNA expression via qRT-PCR). A Protein-Protein Interaction network (STRING/Cytoscape) was constructed to explore the interaction of RES with its potential target proteins (SIRT1, KEAP1). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey test (p<0.05). Results: Histologically, RES treatment significantly mitigated Cd-induced structural damage, preserving follicular health and stromal integrity. Biochemical analyses showed that RES reduced Cd-induced lipid peroxidation (MDA), while also restoring suppressed antioxidant enzyme (SOD, CAT, GPx) activities and glutathione (GSH) levels. At the molecular level, RES suppressed pro-apoptotic Bax and increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, reducing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and preventing cell death. RES also enhanced endogenous defense by upregulating the expression of the main antioxidant regulator Nrf2 and its target gene HO-1. Bioinformatic integration supports these experimental findings, revealing that the effects of RES are based on modulating interconnected pathways such as apoptotic signaling and Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense. Conclusion: Resveratrol stands out as a versatile and effective protective agent against Cd-induced ovarian toxicity through its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties.
