title: Human ovarian tissue vitrification/warming has minor effect on the expression of apoptosis-related genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we evaluated the incidence of apoptosis at the ultrastructural levels and expression of some apoptosis-related genes in vitrified human ovarian tissue just after warming.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human ovarian tissue biopsies from 23 women after caesarean section were transported to the laboratory within 2 hours, and then they were cut into small pieces. Some pieces were vitrified and warmed and the other samples were considered as control. Apoptosis was assessed by a transmission electron microscope and also by molecular analysis of pro-apoptotic (Fas, FasL, Bax, p53, caspase8, and caspase3) and antiapoptotic (Bcl-2 and BIRC5) genem RNA levels using real-time RT-PCR before and after vitrification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No sign of apoptosis was shown ultrastructurally in vitrified samples. The level of FasL, Bcl-2, Bax, p53, and caspase3 mRNA and Bax:Bcl-2 ratio were similar in non-vitrified and vitrified groups; however, the expression of Fas and caspase8 genes was higher and BIRC5 was lower in vitrified samples compared to non-vitrified group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fine structure of human vitrified ovarian tissue was well preserved; moreover, vitrification was shown to affect the expression of some apoptosis-related genes. However, additional study is needed to confirm this observation.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anatomical Sciences, Medical Sciences Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. salehnim@modares.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Maasoume
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.forename: Mojdeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehnia
authors.forename: Saghar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salehpour
authors.forename: Nassim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghorbanmehr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D016477:Artifacts; D001706:Biopsy; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D058989:Vitrification; D055815:Young Adult