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In vitro follicular development of cryopreserved mouse ovarian tissue

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yokohama City University Medical School, 4-57 Urafune-Cho, Minami-Ku, Yokohama, Japan and ² Department of Applied Biological Science, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Japan

Correspondence should be addressed to M Segino, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yokohama City University Medical School, 4-57 Urafune-Cho, Minami-Ku, Yokohama, 232-0024 Japan; Email: segino{at}urahp.yokohama-cu.ac.jp

In a previous report, we showed that follicles isolated from frozen/thawed mouse ovarian tissues reached the mature follicle stage on the 12th day of culture. However, the developmental ability was lower than that of fresh ovarian tissue. The purpose of this study was to define a culture system with some technical modification for preantral follicles isolated from frozen/thawed ovarian tissue and to confirm cell injury. Ovaries obtained from three-week-old female mice were cryopreserved by the rapid freezing method. Preantral follicles isolated from frozen/thawed ovarian tissues were cultured for 12–16 days. The follicles were then stimulated with human chorionic gonadotropin. In vitro fertilization was performed on the released cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs). Preantral follicle viability was assessed by supravital staining using Hoechst 33258. Using this stain cell death was found in part of the granulosa cells of a follicle obtained from frozen/thawed ovarian tissue. On the 14th and 16th days of culture, the diameters of follicles isolated from frozen/thawed ovaries were larger than on the 12th day of culture. The released COCs were fertilized and developed to the blastocyst stage in 15.8% (12/76) of the oocytes taken from the fresh group, and in 0% (0/73), 2.9% (2/69) and 19.1% (22/115) of the oocytes taken from the frozen/thawed group that had been cultured for 12, 14 and 16 days respectively. The preantral follicles isolated from frozen/thawed mouse ovarian tissues developed slowly compared with the freshly prepared preantral follicles. During prolonged culture from 12 to 16 days, these follicles obtained the potential to fertilize and develop to the blastocyst stage.