title: Vitrification of human ovarian tissue: effect of different solutions and procedures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the effect of different vitrification solutions and procedures on the morphology of human preantral follicles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pilot study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gynecology research unit in a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovarian biopsies were obtained from nine women aged 22-35 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovarian tissue fragments were subjected to [1] different vitrification solutions to test their toxicity or [2] different vitrification methods using plastic straws, medium droplets, or solid-surface vitrification before in vitro culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number of morphologically normal follicles after toxicity testing or vitrification with the different treatments determined by histologic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the toxicity tests, only VS3 showed similar results to fresh tissue before and after in vitro culture (fresh controls 1 and 2). In addition, this was the only solution able to completely vitrify. In all vitrification procedures, the percentage of normal follicles was lower than in controls. However, of the three protocols, the droplet method yielded a significantly higher proportion of normal follicles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experiments showed VS3 to have no deleterious effect on follicular morphology and to be able to completely vitrify, although vitrification procedures were found to affect human follicles. Nevertheless, the droplet method resulted in a higher percentage of morphologically normal follicles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christiani Andrade
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Langendonckt
authors.forename: Marie-Madeleine
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dolmans
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donnez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000633:toxicity; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000633:toxicity; D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D019946:Propylene Glycol / Q000633:toxicity; D012996:Solutions / Q000633:toxicity; D013395:Sucrose / Q000633:toxicity; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D058989:Vitrification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D012996:Solutions; D013395:Sucrose; D019946:Propylene Glycol; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide