The Effect of Intraperitoneal Ozone Therapy on the Number and Diameter of Placental Stem Villiin Preeclampsia Wistar Rats Induced with Deoxycorticosterone Acetate (Doca)

Introduction: Preeclampsia continues to be a major obstetric challenge primarily due toinadequate spiral artery transformation and subsequent placental ischemia. Over the past 30 years, medical interest in ozone therapy has grown due to its reported capacity to improve placental blood flow and tissue microcirculation. Method: This study examined the effect of intraperitoneal ozone administration on the dimensions and frequency of placental stem villi in a DOCA-induced preeclampsia model using Wistar rats. Adopting a randomized posttest-only control design, 36 pregnant subjects were categorized into treatment and control groups. The former received an intraperitoneal ozone dosage (1.2 mg; 95% O2/5% O3 mixture), whereas the latter remained untreated. Histopathological analysis was subsequently conducted to quantify stem villi parameters. Result: The data revealed that The ozone-treated group exhibited a markedly higher mean number of stem villi than the controls (5.72 vs. 2.94; p = 0.000). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the diameter of the stem villi within the treatment cohort (398.4 vs. 268.5; p = 0.000). These positive outcomes are likely driven by the role of ozone in modulating angiogenic factors, inhibiting pro inflammatory cytokines, and triggering antioxidant pathways, which collectively enhance oxygenation and neovascularization in hypoxic environments. Conclusion: Intraperitoneal ozone therapy effectively increased both the count and diameter of placental stem villi in preeclamptic rat models. This intervention holds promise as a complementary strategy for alleviating placental insufficiency and decreasing the risk of maternal and neonatal complications.