Figure 3.

Long-term viability and function of ovarian tissue grafts are improved by ExECs. (a) Experimental scheme for long-term xenograft of ovarian cortical tissue. (b) Mouse #1 was xenografted with tissue from a 6-year-old donor and monitored by MRI at the onset of stimulation (14 weeks, left) and again after ten days of stimulation (right). (c) Mouse #3 was xenografted with tissue from a 19-year-old donor and monitored by MRI at 6 (20 weeks post-transplant), 7 (21 w) and 8 (22 w) weeks following the onset of stimulation. d and e) Mouse #1 was sacrificed after 15.5 weeks and control and ExEC-assisted grafts were harvested for histological analysis; in (d) the graft on the right side is the ExEC-assisted graft and a histological view of the control graft is shown in (e). (f,g) Mouse #2 was sacrificed after 20 weeks and control and ExEC-assisted grafts were harvested for histological analysis; the ExEC-assisted graft is shown in (g). (h,i) Mouse #3 was sacrificed after 22 weeks and control and ExEC-assisted grafts were harvested for histological analysis; the ExEC-assisted graft is shown in (i). (j) Median of total number of antral follicles in ExEC-assisted versus control grafts from Mice 1–3 + MAD. N = 3. k) Sections of the ExEC-assisted grafts from Mouse #2 and Mouse #3 were stained for molecular markers shown. (l,m) Serum isolated from control (male), short-term-2 weeks and long-term-20,22 weeks xenografted mice was tested by ELISA for levels of human Estradiol (l) and AMH (m). Insets in (e,g,k) are enlarged in the associated box. Scale bars = 100 μm.