ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To estimate ischemic tissue damage in ovarian cortex and to evaluate the effectiveness of ascorbic acid, an antioxidant, to protect ovarian tissue from apoptosis caused by ischemia. DESIGN: In vitro laboratory experiments. SETTING: Academic research institute. INTERVENTION(S): Fresh and frozen/thawed cortical sections of bovine ovaries were incubated in MEM medium with or without ascorbic acid for a duration of 3, 24, and 48 hours at 37 degrees C. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Oxygen consumption rates, lactate dehydrogenase concentrations, apoptosis rates determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and DNA fragmentation analysis. RESULT(S): The oxygen consumption rates were correlated inversely with the duration of incubation. When the rates of apoptosis in primordial follicles with or without ascorbic acid treatment were compared, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. However, the ascorbic acid treatment group showed significantly decreased apoptosis in ovarian cortex (stromal cells) with 24 hours of incubation. CONCLUSION(S): The correlation between ischemic tissue damage and the duration of ischemia was verified. Ovarian cortex could tolerate ischemia at least for 3 hours. Ascorbic acid treatment reduced apoptosis in ovarian cortex up to 24 hours of incubation in vitro. It appeared that stromal cells were more vulnerable to ischemia compared to primordial follicles.
