Recovery of natural fertility after grafting of cryopreserved germinative tissue in ewes subjected to radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To recover natural fertility of ewes that were subjected to ovarian failure induced by radiotherapy with an autologous orthotopic graft of cryopreserved germinative tissue.


METHODS
Experimental surgery study.


METHODS
University hospital unit.


METHODS
Adult ewes.


METHODS
Four ewes were submitted to right oophorectomy and posterior dissecting and freezing of the germinative tissue. Afterward, they were administered radiotherapy to induce infertility on the remaining left ovary. Later, two of the ewes had the thawed fragments of the right ovary injected inside the cortex of the irradiated left ovary in a "sowing" procedure that eliminated the need for sutures.


METHODS
Recovery of fertility in ewes after transplantation of germinative tissue into the ovary destroyed by radiotherapy.


RESULTS
The ewes were housed with fertile rams. Six months following the grafting, the rams impregnated the transplanted ewes. More than 2 years after radiotherapy, the nongrafted (control) ewes have not become pregnant.


CONCLUSIONS
Intracortical grafting of the germinative tissue circumvents the obstacle of vascular anastomosis with autologous ovarian implants. Patients could benefit from the subcortical grafting of germinative tissue in one of the ovaries, recovering fertility after radiotherapy treatment for malignancy.
Almodin
Carlos Gilberto
CG
Materbaby-Reprodução Humana e Genética, Maringá, Brazil. almodin@irapida.com.br
Minguetti-Câmara
Vania Cibeli
VC
Meister
Hugo
H
Ceschin
Alvaro Pigatto
AP
Kriger
Edgar
E
Ferreira
José Octávio Haggi Rodrigues
JO
D000818:Animals; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012756:Sheep; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous