Advanced follicle development in xenografted prepubertal ovarian tissue: the common marmoset as a nonhuman primate model for ovarian tissue transplantation.

Objective: To establish a nonhuman primate model addressing follicular development in cryopreserved prepubertal ovarian tissue after xenografting.

Design: Experimental study.

Setting: Academic research center.

Animal(s): Ovarian tissue from female prepubertal common marmoset (Callytrix jacchus jacchus) grafted into immunodeficient nude mice (Crl:NU-FoxnI(nu)).

Intervention(s): Removal and subsequent cryopreservation of ovarian tissues with dimethyl sulfoxide, followed by grafting to subcutaneous sites of ovariectomized and intact nude mice.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Histologic evaluation for the mean number of total and morphologically normal follicles in each class.

Result(s): The mean number of unadvanced follicles in frozen-thawed grafted ovarian tissues was reduced compared with pregraft controls, but the prevalence of normal follicular morphology was either slightly increased (primordial follicles) or unchanged (primary follicles). Previous ovariectomy in graft recipients increased total follicle numbers without effect on normal follicular morphology and shifted the ratio of primordial to primary follicles toward an increase in primary follicles, indicating activation of follicular maturation.

Conclusion(s): The marmoset is a suitable primate model for studies on the subsequent use of cryopreserved ovarian tissue, demonstrating graft sustainment and the development of follicles from prepubertal ovarian tissue in immunodeficient hosts up to secondary and preantral stages.