Protective effects of curcumin and taurine on mice ovarian tissue following treatment with acrylamide: a stereological study

This study aimed to assess the impact of curcumin (CUR) and taurine on ovarian tissue structure in mice exposed to acrylamide (ACR). Forty-eight adult female NMRI mice were randomly divided into eight groups (n=6) and treated orally for 35 days as follows: The control group received daily doses of normal saline. The CUR group received 200 mg/kg/day of curcumin. The taurine group received 150 mg/kg/day of taurine. The ACR group was exposed to 50 mg/kg of acrylamide. ACR+CUR 100 group; ACR+CUR 200 group; ACR+Taurine 75 group; ACR+Taurine 150 group. At the end of the 35th day, serum samples were collected for hormonal assays, and the right ovaries were removed for stereological assessments. Significant reductions were observed in ovary volume, cortical volume, and corpus luteum volume in the ACR, ACR+CUR 100, and ACR+Taurine 75 groups compared to the control group (p<0.01). The total number of ovarian follicles significantly decreased in the ACR, ACR+CUR 100, and ACR+Taurine 75 groups in comparison to the control (P <0.001), with a significant increase in the number of atretic follicles in the ACR group (p<0.001). Significant decreases in LH, FSH, estradiol, and progesterone levels were observed in the ACR, ACR+CUR 100, and ACR+Taurine 75 groups compared to the control (P <0.001). However, high doses of CUR and Taurine effectively restored stereological parameters and hormonal levels. In conclusion curcumin and taurine demonstrated a dose-dependent ability to mitigate acrylamide-induced structural changes in the ovaries of mice, primarily through the regulation of sex hormones and gonadotropins.