Hindawi Publishing Corporation Biochemistry Research International Volume 2013, Article ID 764262, 6 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/764262 Research Article Effects of Spirulina on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Ovarian Toxicity in Rats: Biochemical and Histomorphometric Evaluation of the Ovary Nese Arzu Yener, 1 Orhun Sinanoglu, 2 Erdin Ilter, 3 Aygen Celik, 3 Gulbuz Sezgin, 4 Ahmet Midi, 1 Ugur Deveci, 5 and Fehime Aksungar 6 1 Maltepe University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Maltepe, 34843 Istanbul, Turkey 2 Maltepe University School of Medicine, Department of Urology, Maltepe, 34843 Istanbul, Turkey 3 Maltepe University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maltepe, 34843 Istanbul, Turkey 4 Maltepe University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Maltepe, 34843 Istanbul, Turkey 5 Maltepe University School of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Maltepe, 34843 Istanbul, Turkey 6 Maltepe University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Maltepe, 34843 Istanbul, Turkey Correspondence should be addressed to Nese Arzu Yener; nese.yener@maltepe.edu.tr Received 30 November 2012; Revised 22 March 2013; Accepted 10 April 2013 Academic Editor: Paul W. Doetsch Copyright © 2013 Nese Arzu Yener et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Cyclophosphamide (Cyc) is known to cause ovotoxicity and infertility in women. Our aim is to investigate the possible ovotoxic efects of Cyc and possible antioxidant and protective efects of blue-green algae, Spirulina (Sp), in rat ovaries. Eighteen rats were given: group I (=6, control); group II (=6, CP), a single dose Cyc; group III (=6, Sp+Cyc), 7 days Sp+single dose Cyc. Tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities are assessed biochemically. Normal and atretic primordial and primary follicle counts for all sections obtained for each ovary are calculated. Mean number of follicle counts for each group are compared. In Sp+Cyc group, tissue MDA levels were signifcantly lower than those in the CP and higher than those in the C group (CP > Sp+Cyc > C). Tissue SOD activity was signifcantly higher in Sp+Cyc group than that in the CP group and lower than that in the C group (C > Sp+Cyc > C). No statistically signifcant diference was found between the ovarian CAT activities in any group. Histomorphometrically, there was also no signifcant diference between the mean numbers of normal and atretic small follicle counts. Our results suggest that single dose Cyc has adverse efects on oxidant status of the ovaries and Sp has protective efects in Cyc-induced ovotoxicity. 1. Background Cyclophosphamide (Cyc), one of the most efective alkylating agents, is associated with the greatest risk of female infertility [1, 2]. Tis is mostly attributed to ovarian toxicity and is thought to be strongly related to the cumulative doses of Cyc [1]. Reproductive functions deteriorate by rapid depletion of the oocyte reserve mediated by apoptotic cell death and ovarian atrophy with disappearance of resting primordial follicles [3] and also growing follicles [4] in humans. In other words, apoptosis, which physiologically is an essential event for ovarian function [5] and development of this organ, would become harmful when the ovary is exposed to Cyc [6]. Te toxic metabolites of Cyc and the drug itself also interfere with intracellular antioxidation systems which play an important role in detoxifying the reactive oxygen species (ROS) [7]. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), which converts the superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide, plays a central role in antiox- idation reactions [8]. Catalase (CAT), another antioxidant enzyme, catalyzes exclusively the decomposition of hydrogen