In vivo assay of function of mouse ovaries following culture in hormone enriched medium

Abstract

Ovaries of 4–6-week-old C57 mice were explanted by the organ culture technique. One group of ovaries was cultured in a basal medium, while a second group was cultured in a similar medium to which APL and prolactin were added. After 6 days in vitro the ovaries were implanted into castrate isologous female recipients. The hosts were sacrificed 26–42 days following the ovarian graft implantation. Examination of the uterine weight and the uterine and vaginal histology of the assay mice indicated that the group bearing grafts which had been cultured in the hormone-enriched medium had a significantly higher frequency of mice with functional ovarian tissue than did the group bearing grafts which had been cultured in the basal medium.