P-92: Assessment of Stem Cells in Adult Mouse Ovaries during Estrous Cycle

Background: The concepts of reproductive biology were changed by stating the ovarian reserve in postnatal mammalian females is replenished. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of OCT4 in the mice ovarian tissue during different stages of mouse estrous cycle. Materials and Methods: The mice were considered as pro-estrous, estrous, met-estrous and di-estrous based on the cell type of the vaginal smear. Real time PCR of complementary cDNA of pluripotency marker mRNA OCT4 of ovarian tissue was performed to evaluate the expreeesion pattern. Results: The results showed that the rate of OCT4 gene expression was significantly lower in the pro-estrous than other phases. Conclusion: Our results may suggest that adult mice ovaries accommodate cells carrying stem cell features.