Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro survival and developmental potential of oocytes obtained from vitrified mouse ovaries transplanted to a heterotopic site. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, two-week-old mice were unilaterally ovariectomized after anesthesia. The ovaries were vitrified by cryotop. After two weeks, the ovaries were thawed and autotransplanted to the gluteus muscle tissue. Three weeks later the mice were killed, after which we removed and dissected the transplanted and opposite right ovaries. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) and denuded oocytes were evaluated for in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and in vitro development (IVD). The control group consisted of sevenweek- old age-matched mice ovaries. RESULTS: All vitrified-transplanted (Vit-trans) ovaries contained some oocytes that survived. Following IVM, IVF and IVD, there were 41.7 out of 12 cultured zygotes that reached the 8-cell stage. CONCLUSION: Our experiment supports the progressive role of long-term graft survival after wholeovarian cryopreservation by vitrification and subsequent heterotopic transplantation. It is possible to recover viable follicles and oocytes that have the ability to develop in vitro.