title: Survival and growth of human preantral follicles after cryopreservation of ovarian tissue, follicle isolation and short-term xenografting.
abstract: In women, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be harmful to the ovaries, causing loss of endocrine and reproductive functions. When gonadotoxic treatment cannot be delayed, ovarian tissue cryobanking is the only way of preserving fertility. This technique, however, is not advisable for patients with certain types of cancer, because of the risk of reintroducing malignant cells present in the cryopreserved tissue. Our objective is therefore to develop a transplantable artificial ovary. To this end, cryopreserved human preantral follicles were isolated and embedded in fibrin formulations prepared with 50 mg/ml fibrinogen and 10 IU/ml thrombin supplemented or not with 3% hyaluronic acid, and respectively xenografted to specially created right and left peritoneal pockets in eight nude mice. On days 0 and 7, the animals were killed and the matrices retrieved. On day 7, no difference was observed in the recovery rate of follicles embedded in fibrin alone (23.4%) or fibrin-hyaluronic acid (20.5%). Ki67 staining confirmed growth of the grafted follicles and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling assay revealed 100% of the follicles to be viable in both groups on day 7. In conclusion, fibrin seems to be a promising material for creation of an artificial ovary, supporting follicle survival and development.
authors.affiliation: Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52, bte. B1.52.02, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paulini
authors.affiliation: Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52, bte. B1.52.02, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Bloco E, s/n, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Janice M V
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.affiliation: Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52, bte. B1.52.02, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maria Costanza
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chiti
authors.affiliation: Society for Research into Infertility, Avenue Grandchamp 143, 1150 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donnez
authors.affiliation: Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52, bte. B1.52.02, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Gynecology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jadoul
authors.affiliation: Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52, bte. B1.52.02, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Gynecology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Marie-madeleine.Dolmans@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Marie-Madeleine
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dolmans
authors.affiliation: Pôle de Recherche en Gynécologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52, bte. B1.52.02, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christiani A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Amorim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001187:Artificial Organs; D002470:Cell Survival; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation; D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D005337:Fibrin
keywords: artificial ovary; cancer; fertility preservation; fibrin matrix; hyaluronic acid; mouse