OBJECTIVE:

Tubal sterilization is a common birth control method which the complication rates change according to the performed technique and methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of tubal sterilization techniques, Pomeroy and bilateral bipolar cautherization, on the apoptosis in the ovarian and endometrial tissue atrophy in rats.

MATERIAL-METHOD:

Thirty female Wistar Albino rats were enrolled in the study and divided into three groups (n=10). In the first group, rats underwent bilateral uterine horn ligation with Pomeroy method, in the second group, bilateral bipolar cauterization was applied, and only laparotomy was performed in the control group. Two months later, uterine horns and ovaries of the rats in all groups were excised. After genomic DNA isolation, DNA samples were run in agarose gel and the Scion images were compared with the DNA marker and control.

RESULTS:

There was no apoptosis in the ovarian and endometrial tissues in all groups detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and Scion image technique. In Pomeroy group, there were both necrosis and intact DNA in ovarian and endometrial tissues, while in cauterization group, there were only necrosis.

CONCLUSIONS:

In our study, there was no role of apoptosis in the atrophy of ovarian and endometrial tissues after tubal ligation by Pomeroy technique or bipolar cauterization in female rats. In Pomeroy technique, however, higher proportion of intact tissue was detected compared with bipolar cauterization. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to study the expression of atrophy and apoptosis.

Keywords: Tubal sterilization, ovary, endometriyum, apoptosis, rat