title: Simulated Microgravity Using a Rotary Culture System Compromises the In Vitro Development of Mouse Preantral Follicles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growing cells in simulated weightlessness condition might be a highly promising new technique to maintain or generate tissue constructs in a scaffold-free manner. There is limited evidence that microgravity condition may affect development of ovarian follicles. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of simulated microgravity on the in vitro development of mouse preantral follicles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ovarian tissue from 14-day-old mice, or preantral follicles mechanically isolated from 14-day-old mouse ovaries were cultured at a simulated microgravity condition generated using a rotating wall vessel apparatus. Follicle survival was assessed quantitatively using H&E staining. Follicle diameter and oocyte diameter were measured under an inverted microscope. Ultrastructure of oocytes was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy. We observed that simulated microgravity compromised follicle survival in vitro, downregulated PCNA and GDF-9 expressions, and caused ultrastructural abnormalities in oocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed for the first time that three-dimensional culture condition generated by simulated microgravity is detrimental to the initial stage development of mouse preantral follicles in vitro. The experimental setup provides a model to further investigate the mechanisms involved in the in vitro developmental processes of oocytes/granulosa cells under the microgravity condition.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Dahan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yonggen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Zaichong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Luhe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Stem Cells and Genetic Engineering Group, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.|Department of Histology and Embryology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002470:Cell Survival; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D014893:Weightlessness