Expression of Apoptotic Genes after Autotransplantation of Vitrified Rat Ovary Encapsulated with Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel

Ischemia followed by apoptosis and follicles mortality are problems that occur after cryopreservation and ovarian tissue transplantation. The present study used hyaluronic acid hydrogel as a capsule to reduce ischemia and apoptosis in vitrified ovarian tissue transplantation of rats.

In total, 22 adult female rats (~ 8-week old) with normal estrous cycle were ovariectomized, and their right ovaries were then vitrified and divided into two groups after being warmed, including vitrified-transplanted (VT) (n=11) and vitrified-encapsulated in hyaluronic acid hydrogel-transplanted (VT+HA) (n=11) that were auto transplanted into the dorsal muscle. Following that, a daily vaginal smear was obtained from the 4th day after transplantation of the rats. The ovaries were removed at the end of the first estrous cycle (approximately 15 days after transplantation), and some apoptotic genes including P53, c-Myc, Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase 3 were evaluated by the real-time PCR.

All transplants were completely successful (100%). The results also showed that the expression of the P53, c-Myc, Bax, and Caspase 3 genes were higher in the VT group, compared to the VT+HA group. However, this difference was statistically significant only in the c-Myc gene (P<0.05).

Hyaluronic acid hydrogel was able to reduce the rate of apoptosis in the capsule group (VT+HA), compared to the non-capsule group (VT) after transplantation.