Figure 2.

Mel prevents Cyc-induced primordial follicle loss. There were 25 six-week-old female mice in each group, of which 18 were sacrificed to obtain the ovary and blood samples, and seven mice were used for the mating experiment. (A) Oocytes in mouse ovaries were detected using an Nobox antibody (n = 6). Red arrow indicates primordial follicles. Bar = 200 μm. (B) Follicle count of whole ovarian tissue in control and treatment group mice 14 days after Cyc chemotherapy (n = 6). Mel prevented Cyc-induced dormant primordial follicle loss and suppressed the activation of primordial follicles into primary follicles. ^a,b,c,d Values with different letters in the same type of follicles were significantly different from each other. (C) Cyc treatment reduced the mean litter size in mice and Mel reversed this effect (n = 7). *P < 0.05 compared with Sal group. ^# P < 0.05 compared with Cyc group. (D) Cumulative pup number of each mouse in control and treatment groups at Day 55 of mating (n = 7). (E) Representative litters from control and treatment groups.