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Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue after pretreatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist

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Reproductive Medicine and Biology

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether slow-rate freezing or vitrification is better for cryopreservation of ovary tissues pretreated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist.

Methods

In this nonclinical study performed in rats, leuprorelin acetate was administered to female Wistar rats, aged 6–8 weeks. After confirming arrest of the estrous cycle by examination of vaginal smears, ovarian tissue was cryopreserved by vitrification and slow-rate freezing prior to thawing and autotransplantation. The time required for estrous cycle recovery was assessed from vaginal smears in each group starting from day 1 of transplantation. Estradiol levels were also monitored after transplantation.

Results

The estrous cycle recovered after transplantation of ovarian tissue frozen by either method, but recovery was significantly faster after transplantation of vitrified tissue. The estradiol level also recovered by 10 days after transplantation.

Conclusions

Ovarian function was restored after transplantation of tissue preserved by either vitrification or slow-rate freezing after pretreatment with leuprorelin acetate. This method may be applicable for patients scheduled to undergo cryopreservation of ovarian tissue before chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant for scientific research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (no. 20591933) (NS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 216-8511, Japan

    Suguru Igarashi, Nao Suzuki, Marie Osada, Seido Takae, Wataru Tarumi & Bunpei Ishizuka

Authors
  1. Suguru Igarashi
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  2. Nao Suzuki
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  3. Marie Osada
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  4. Seido Takae
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  5. Wataru Tarumi
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  6. Bunpei Ishizuka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nao Suzuki.

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Igarashi, S., Suzuki, N., Osada, M. et al. Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue after pretreatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. Reprod Med Biol 9, 197–203 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-010-0058-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-010-0058-1

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