Development of antral follicles after xenografting of isolated small human preantral follicles.
Small human pre-antral follicles can be enzymatically isolated from the surrounding stroma, and are able to survive after 7 days of xenografting. The aim of the present study was to assess the developmental capacity of enzymatically isolated human follicles after long-term xenografting to severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Ovarian biopsies were obtained from three women 26-29 years of age. Human ovarian tissue was enzymatically dissociated using collagenase or a purified collagenase blend to obtain isolated follicles that were xenografted to SCID mice for 5 months. Recombinant FSH was given to the mice for the last 2 weeks. Five months after xenografting, follicular morphology was assessed by histology, and follicular proliferation by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry. Four grafts containing a total of 84 follicles were recovered. This follicular population was composed of 11 primordial follicles, 38 primary follicles, 31 secondary follicles and four antral follicles. Ki-67 was found to stain granulosa cells in antral follicles intensively. The results demonstrate, for the first time, that isolated human follicles are able to survive after long-term xenografting, and can develop into antral follicles after FSH stimulation.
Dolmans
Marie-Madeleine
MM
Gynecology Research Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
Yuan
Wu Yuan
WY
Camboni
Alessandra
A
Torre
Antoine
A
Van Langendonckt
Anne
A
Martinez-Madrid
Belen
B
Donnez
Jacques
J
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone