title: Allogeneic and xenogeneic transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue to athymic mice.
abstract: Cryopreserved ovarian tissue has major applications for female oncology patients and for the development of genome resource banks. The objective of the present study was to develop a bioassay of cryopreserved ovarian tissue function after allogeneic and xenogeneic transplantation to ovariectomized athymic nude (nu/nu) Balb/C mice. Transplant function was assessed by examination of vaginal smears, number of live births, and posttransplant histology. Animals were sham operated (group I; n = 4) or ovariectomized (group II; n = 5) or were given transplants of either fresh (group III; n = 3) or cryopreserved (group IV; n = 4) Institute of Cancer Research-strain mouse ovarian tissue or cryopreserved sheep ovarian tissue (group V; n = 7). Vaginal smears were examined 5-7 times per week; the number of days between visualizations of epithelial cells in smears was 4.3 +/- 0.6 for group I, 8.6 +/- 3.8 for group II, 3.4 +/- 0.4 for group III, 3.3 +/- 0.5 for group IV, and 4.6 +/- 0.6 for group V. Epithelial cells were seen for 1.2-1.7 consecutive days; this value was significantly different between groups III and V. Live births were recorded from 3 of 4 animals from group I, 0 of 5 animals from group II, 2 of 3 animals from group III, and 1 of 4 animals from group IV. In vivo function and long-term survival of cryopreserved ovarian tissue after allogeneic or xenogeneic transplant were confirmed by the examination of vaginal cytology, and offspring were derived from allografts.
authors.affiliation: Cryobiology Research Institute, Methodist Hospital of Indiana Inc., Indianapolis 46202, USA.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Gunasena
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lakey
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Villines
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Critser
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Critser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010053:Ovary / Q000637:transplantation*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology; D014626:Vaginal Smears