Degeneration rate of goat primordial follicles maintained in TCM 199 or PBS at different temperatures and incubation times

The present work has investigated the degeneration rate of goat primordial follicles in situ after preservation in PBS or TCM 199 at different temperatures and incubation times. For each animal the ovarian pair was divided into 19 fragments. One ovarian fragment was taken randomly and immediately fixed (control). The other 18 ovarian fragments were randomly distributed in tubes containing PBS or TCM 199 and stored at 4º, 20º or 39ºC for 4, 12 or 24h. The storage of ovarian fragments in PBS or TCM 199 at 20ºC for 12h and 24h or at 39ºC, in all incubation times tested, increased significantly the percentage of degenerated primordial follicles (P<0.05). In contrast, for both media tested the degeneration rate of primordial follicles preserved at 4ºC for up to 24h and at 20ºC for 4h was similar to control values (P>0.05). In conclusion, this study shows that PBS was as efficient as TCM 199 in the preservation of goat primordial follicles in situ, being the best results observed at 4ºC

Preservation of goat preantral follicles in saline or coconut water solution

The present study investigated the efficiency of saline solution and coconut water solution in the preservation of goat preantral follicles enclosed in ovarian tissue, at different temperatures and for different incubation periods. At the slaughterhouse, the ovarian pair was divided into 19 fragments; one ovarian fragment was immediately fixed for histology (control-time zero). The other 18 ovarian fragments were preserved in both solutions at 4ºC, 20ºC or 39ºC for 4 h, 12 h or 24 h. The histological analysis showed that the storage of ovarian fragments in both solutions at 4ºC for up to 24 h kept the percentage of normal preantral follicles similar to the control values. In contrast, preservation at 20°C or 39ºC, in either solution, reduced significantly the percentage of normal preantral follicles compared to the control values, except in saline solution at 20ºC for 4 h or in coconut water solution at 20ºC for 4 h and 12 h. In conclusion, this study shows that both solutions can be used with the same efficiency to preserve goat preantral follicles at 4°C, irrespective of the incubation time. However, to preserve goat preantral follicles at higher temperatures, coconut water solution is recommended