Recovery, survival and functional evaluation by transplantation of frozen-thawed mouse germ cells.
BACKGROUND
Establishing a successful method for testicular stem cell transplantation of frozen-thawed testicular cells would be of immense benefit to boys with childhood cancer undergoing a sterilizing treatment. In this study, we evaluated different cryopreservation protocols in a mouse model by means of testicular germ cell transplantation (TGCT), in order to establish an optimal freezing protocol.


RESULTS
In a first series of experiments, we compared an uncontrolled protocol with 1.5 mol/l dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) versus a controlled long protocol (cooling to -80 degrees C) and observed a better viability with the latter protocol (36% versus 48%, P < 0.05). We then compared survival after two thawing methods (37 degrees C water versus ice water) in either a DMSO- or an ethylene glycol (EG)-based protocol, and found no difference. In order to evaluate the functional capacity of the cryopreserved testicular suspension, TGCT was performed with both fresh and frozen-thawed suspensions. In 90% of the successfully injected testes, spermatogenesis was reinitiated using fresh suspensions. In contrast, this figure was only 12.5 and 22.7% after cryopreservation, for the short controlled EG protocol and the uncontrolled DMSO protocol, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Reinitiation of spermatogenesis is possible after cryopreservation of testicular germ cell suspensions. Although cell survival was acceptable, our results after TGCT show that our protocols need further improvement.
Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Research Laboratories for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital and Medical School, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. veerle.frederickx@az.vub.ac.be
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V
Frederickx
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A
Michiels
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Goossens
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G
De Block
A C
AC
Van Steirteghem
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Tournaye
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D015925:Cryopreservation; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000235:genetics; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006579:Heterozygote; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012662:Semen Preservation; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors
D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide