Introduction: Despite the remarkable progress that has been achieved in the field of cancer treatment, which has increased the rate of survival in cancer patients ,but unfortunately some patients still suffer from infertility caused by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, affecting their life quality. Ovarian tissue transplantation is a fertility restoration technique used in these patients and one of the major obstacles of it is ischemia/reperfusion injury that leads to the depletion and apoptosis of the follicles. Therefore, reducing graft ischemia is essential for the functional support of the ovary. L-carnitine has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can therefore be used to reduce ischemic damages. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of L-carnitine injection on the endocrine function of the transplanted mouse ovarian tissue. Methods: The Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice at the age of 4-5 weeks, were divided randomly into groups of: control, autograft and autograft + L-carnitine (200 mg/kg daily intrapritoneal injections). 28 days after ovarian transplantation, blood samples were collected and serum levels of progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) were analyzed. To evaluate the restoration of the cyclic ovarian activity, daily vaginal smears were taken, beginning on day 7 post-transplantation. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test, and the means were considered significantly different at p < 0.05. Results: As indicated by our results, serum concentrations of progesterone and estradiol were significantly lower in the autografted group compared to the control counterpart, whereas in the autografted + L-carnitine group, the mentioned parameters were significantly higher when compared to the autografted group. In addition, the estrous cycle recovery was more rapid in the autografted + L-carnitine group than the autografted group. Conclusion: L-carnitine can restore endocrine function of the transplanted ovaries through reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
