Clinical and pathological changes in the offspring of rats with torsio uteri

Abstract

We investigated the histopathological changes observed in the brains, organs, and apoptotic changes in the brain of young rats born from rats with torsio uteri that survive. We divided 10 Sprague-Dawley rats with a gestational age of 18-19 days into two groups. The rats in group 1 (i.e., the control group; n=5) were given anesthesia only; the rats in group 2 (study group; n=5) underwent a 360-degree clockwise torsion in their uterus, and the torsion was corrected after 6 hours. The births of the offspring were followed, and 7 female and male offspring 1 month of age were selected in each group. The vaginal openings of the young female offspring were checked to determine the time to reach puberty. The 1-month-old male offspring and the mature young female rats were then decapitated. Tissue samples, including visceral organs, genital organs, and brains, were evaluated by histapathologically; we also investigated apoptosis via the TUNEL method. Although no abortion was observed in any of the pregnant rats in the control group, two abortions were observed in the study group after torsion/detorsion. The survival rate difference between the groups was statistically significant. The time to reach puberty was longer in female rats born from rats with torsio uteri; however, this difference was not statistically significant. Microscopic lesions were not observed in the visceral organs, genital organs, or brain. In addition, apoptosis were not determined in the brains of the experimental or control-group rats