| Figure 6: Follicle development after xenotransplantation of ovarian tissue with or without delayed processing. Ovine ovarian tissue was either processed immediately (no delay; n = 6), 24 h (n = 3) or 48 h (n = 3) after collection and cryopreserved. Samples were thawed and xenotransplanted subcutaneously for 10 days, after which they were fixed in Bouin’s solution. (a) Proportion of primordial and growing follicles in cryopreserved-thawed ovine ovarian tissue following 10-day xenotransplantation. Follicles were classified as primordial (P0; oocyte surrounded by a single layer of flattened pregranulosa cells) or growing (Grow; oocyte surrounded by one or more layers of either a mixture of flattened and cuboidal granulosa cells or a complete layer of cuboidal cells. (b) Same data as in (a), showing the distribution of follicle developmental stages between animals (mean ± SD). (c) Proportional ORs and 95% CIs of follicles being classified as growing when processed after 24 h or 48 h compared to the no delay group. |