Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cell transplantation at the graft site improves the structure and function of autografted mice ovaries: a stereological and biochemical analysis

Background: Ovarian tissue autografting is a fertility restoration technique that is frequently used in young women with cancer who undergo radio/chemotherapy. A limiting factor in this technique is ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) damage. Because adipose derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADMSCs) protect different ischemic tissues against I/R damage, we examined the effect of ADMSC transplantation at the graft site in mice ovary autografting. Method: Mice were divided into three groups: control, auto graft and autograft + ADMSCs. Seven days after ovary autografting and ADMSC transplantation, serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total antioxidant capacity, serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 were measured. After 28 days, ovary histology, serum concentrations of progesterone and estradiol and apoptosis rate were also estimated. At 1-3 and 28 days post ovary autografting and ADMSC transplantation, angiogenesis was detected. The results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test, and the means were significantly different at P <= 0.05. Result: In the autograft + ADMSCs group, the total volume of the ovary, cortex and medulla (P <= 0.001), the number of follicles, SOD activity, IL-10 (P <= 0.001) and progesterone and estradiol (P <= 0.01) concentrations significantly increased compared with the autograft group. Apoptosis rate, IL-6, TNF alpha and MDA concentrations in the autograft + ADMSCs group were lower than the autograft group (P <= 0.001). The angiogenesis was accelerated and the localization of CD31-positive cells in the cortex was similar to the control group following ADMSC transplantation. Discussion: ADMSC transplantation enhances the structure and function of grafted ovary.