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Attempted application of bioengineered/biosynthetic supporting matrices with phosphatidylinositol-trisphosphate-enhancing substances to organ culture of human primordial follicles

  • Fertility Preservation
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To improve human primordial follicle culture.

Methods

Thin or thick ovarian slices were cultured on alginate scaffolds or in PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels with or without bpV (pic), which prevents the conversion of phosphatidylinositol-trisphosphate (PIP3) to phosphatidylinositol-bisphosphate (PIP2) or 740Y-P which converts PIP2 to PIP3. Follicular growth was evaluated by follicular counts, Ki67 immunohistochemistry, and 17β-estradiol (E2) levels.

Results

BpV (pic) had a destructive effect on cultured follicles. Thawed-uncultured samples had more primordial follicles than samples cultured in basic medium and fewer developing follicles than samples cultured in PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels with 740Y-P. There were more atretic follicles in samples cultured on alginate scaffolds than in PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels, and in samples cultured in PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels with 740Y-P than in PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels with basic medium. Ki67 staining was higher in PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels than on alginate scaffolds. E2 levels were higher in thick than in thin slices.

Conclusions

PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels appear to have an advantage over alginate scaffolds for culturing human primordial follicles. Folliculogenesis is not increased in the presence of substances that enhance PIP3 production or with thin rather than thick sectioning.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Prof. Smadar Cohen from The Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel for the production of alginate scaffolds in her laboratory. The authors are greatly indebted to Ms. Gloria Ganzach from the Editorial Board of Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital for the English editing. We are also indebted to our laboratory technician, Ms. Carmela Felz for the histological sectioning. The study was partially funded by a research grant from Tel Aviv University, Leo Minz Fund (to R. A and B. F) and the Israel Cancer Association (to R. A and B. F).

Disclosure summary

RA and BF received grant support from Leo Minz Fund, Tel Aviv University and from the Israel Cancer Association, GL-S, NS, MS, OK, DS, SC and AB-H have nothing to declare.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Nivin Samara

    Present address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Infertility and IVF Unit, Beilinson Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, 49100, Israel

    Galit Lerer-Serfaty, Nivin Samara, Benjamin Fisch, Avi Ben-Haroush & Ronit Abir

  2. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Galit Lerer-Serfaty, Nivin Samara, Benjamin Fisch, Avi Ben-Haroush & Ronit Abir

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Michal Shachar

  4. Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Olga Kossover & Dror Seliktar

Authors
  1. Galit Lerer-Serfaty
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  2. Nivin Samara
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  3. Benjamin Fisch
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  4. Michal Shachar
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  7. Avi Ben-Haroush
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronit Abir.

Additional information

Galit Lerer-Serfaty and Dr. Nivin Samara contributed equally to this study as first authors.

Capsule

PEG-fibrinogen hydrogels seem to have an advantage over alginate scaffolds for culturing human primordial follicles. Folliculogenesis is not enhanced with the addition of PIP3-inducing substances or use of thin-slice sectioning.

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Lerer-Serfaty, G., Samara, N., Fisch, B. et al. Attempted application of bioengineered/biosynthetic supporting matrices with phosphatidylinositol-trisphosphate-enhancing substances to organ culture of human primordial follicles. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 1279–1288 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0052-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0052-8

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