title: Ovarian tissue culture in the presence of VEGF and fetuin stimulates follicle growth and steroidogenesis.
abstract: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation together with follicle culture provides a promising technique for fertility preservation in cancer patients. The study aimed to evaluate follicle parameters in a culture medium supplemented with VEGFA165 and/or fetuin. Vitrified-warmed ovarian cortical pieces were divided randomly into four culture groups consisting of basic culture medium (control), and the basic culture medium supplemented with VEGFA165, fetuin or both. After six days of culture, we evaluated the following: percentage of resting, primary and secondary growing follicles; survival rate; steroid hormones production; levels of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity; and developmental and antioxidant gene expression. The addition of VEGFA165 alone or in combination with fetuin to the culture medium caused resting follicle activation and increased the number of growing follicles. In the VEGFA165 group, we found a significant increase in the concentrations of 17β-estradiol at day 6 and progesterone from 4th day of the culture period. In the VEGFA165 + fetuin group, the concentration of 17β-estradiol rose at day 4 of the culture period. The levels of BMP15, GDF9 and INHB mRNAs were increased in all treated groups. In the fetuin and fetuin + VEGFA165 groups, we observed a high level of total antioxidant capacity and expression of SOD1 and CAT genes, low reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation levels and increased number of viable follicles. In conclusion, the present study provides useful evidence that supplementation of culture medium with VEGFA165 + fetuin leads to primordial follicle activation and development and increased percentage of healthy secondary growing follicles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical SciencesSchool of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Asadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical SciencesSchool of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and ObstetricsArash Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moeini
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and ObstetricsArash Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reihaneh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pirjani
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical SciencesSchool of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hassanzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical SciencesSchool of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Saideh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikaeili
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical SciencesSchool of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ensieh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.affiliation: School of MedicineTehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adutwum
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research CenterIran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Department of Anatomical SciencesSchool of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansoureh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: One FertilityKitchener, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khosravi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologySchool of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barati
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical SciencesSchool of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran abolhasani.f@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abolhassani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004958:Estradiol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D060748:Fetuins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058989:Vitrification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D060748:Fetuins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: cell culture; development; growth factors; ovary; steroidogenesis