P-153: Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Scaffold Containing VEGF and bFGF Affect Oestrous Cycle Restoration after Rat OvarianTissue Autotransplantation

Background: The functional longevity of ovarian transplant at present is one of the most challenging questions regarding ovary transplantation. So, we used hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel scaffold with combination of VEGF and bFGF for restoration of cyclical ovarian function after ovarian tissue transplantation in a rat model. Materials and Methods: A total of 25 Wistar female rats weighing between 90 and 100 g were used. Vaginal cytology was used to assess ovarian function. All these animals had normal estrous cycles according to vaginal cytology and were randomly divided into 3 groups for ovarian tissue autotransplantation including: group A (ovarian tissue without HA, VEGF and bFGF), group B (ovarian tissue encapsulated with HA) and group C (ovarian tissue encapsulated with HA with VEGF and bFGF). To mimic the clinical situation of sterility, a bilateral ovariectomy was performed. All grafts were transplanted into latissimus dorsi muscle in diestrus stage. From the fourth day of post-surgery, ovarian function was monitored by taking vaginal smears and continued till restoration of first cycle. Results: Daily vaginal smear showed that the first estrous cycle began on the average of 14.7, 13.4 and 10.1 days after transplantation in group A, group B and group C respectively. Statistical analysis showed the significant (p<0.05) difference between group A and C as well as between B and C but not about group A and B. Conclusion: The findings suggest that host treatment with HA hydrogel improves oestrous cycle restoration specially when combined with VEGF and bFGF. This protocol can be applied in ovarian autotransplantation for fertility restoration.