Objective: To study ovarian development in vitrification of embryos born mice and expression of growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9) in its.
Methods: The vitrification recovery embryos (vitrified-embryo group) and fresh embryos (fresh-embryo group) were transplanted into pseudopregnant mice, respectively. The female offspring mice in two groups were sacrificed on the 3(rd), 7(th), 14(th), 21(st), 28(th) and 60(th) day after birth, the ovarian tissues were taken, 6 mice in each time point of each group. The ovarian development was observed by HE staining, the expression of GDF-9 mRNA and protein at each time point of two groups were detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and western blot.
Results: HE staining showed that no abnormal ovarian development was observed in offsprings at two groups. On the 3(rd), 7(th), 14(th), 21(st), 28(th) and 60(th) day after birth, the expression of GDF-9 mRNA in vitrified-embryo group were 0.14 ± 0.07, 0.42 ± 0.16, 1.00 ± 0.24, 1.59 ± 0.28, 2.05 ± 0.32 and 2.23 ± 0.21, respectively, which in fresh-embryo group were 0.13 ± 0.06, 0.45 ± 0.18, 1.00 ± 0.21, 1.56 ± 0.26, 2.01 ± 0.37 and 2.26 ± 0.23, respectively, there was no statistical difference between two groups (P > 0.05); the expression of GDF-9 protein in vitrified-embryo group were 0.040 ± 0.030, 0.120 ± 0.060, 0.170 ± 0.030, 0.250 ± 0.040, 0.320 ± 0.060 and 0.330 ± 0.010, respectively, which in fresh-embryo group were 0.030 ± 0.020, 0.110 ± 0.040, 0.150 ± 0.010, 0.210 ± 0.020, 0.360 ± 0.070 and 0.350 ± 0.030, respectively, there was no statistical difference between two groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The ovarian morphology in vitrification of embryos born mice and expression of GDF-9 in ovary has no any obvious change.