Comparison of Survival and Developmental rates of Mouse Ovarian Follicles after Two and Three Dimensional Cultures

In vitro ovarian follicle culture provides a tool to investigate folliculogenesis and may be used as an assisted reproductive technology)ART(. This study aims to compare survival and development rates in mouse ovarian follicles after two and three dimensional in vitro cultures. Preantral follicles were isolated from the ovaries of 14-day old female mice and cultured in α-MEM medium supplemented with 5% FBS for 12 days in a two dimensional and three dimensional culture with different concentrations of sodium alginate (0.25%, 0. 5%, or 1%). The follicle diameter, survival and maturation rate during culture were analyzed and compared with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The mean diameter of preantral follicles that capsulated with 0.5% alginate was significantly higher than other concentrations in each group on days 6 and 12 (P<0.001). The percentages of follicles which released metaphase II (MII) oocytes in the two dimensional groups and in the three dimensional groups at 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% concentrations of sodium alginate were 29.03%, 33.33%, 44.18% and 35.89% respectively. The percentage of MII oocytes was significantly higher at the 0.5% concentration of sodium alginate (P<0.001). Follicles encapsulated in 0. 5% sodium alginate in three dimensional culture displayed the highest survival development and maturation rate.