Enhancing oxygen delivery to ovarian follicles by three different methods markedly improves growth in serum-containing culture medium.

ABSTRACT

Invitro ovarian follicle culture systems are routinely used to study folliculogenesis and may provide solutions for infertility. Mouse follicles are typically cultured in standard gas-impermeable culture plates under gas phase oxygen concentrations of 5% or 20% (v/v). There is evidence that these conditions may not provide adequate oxygenation for follicles cultured as non-attached intact units in medium supplemented with serum and high levels of FSH. Three different methods of enhancing follicle oxygenation were investigated in this study increasing the gas phase oxygen concentration, inverting the culture plates and using gas-permeable culture plates. Follicles cultured under 40% O2 were significantly larger (P P P 2 . These effects were associated with reduced secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (P P P invivo -matured follicles (~500µm in diameter). Such follicular development is not possible under hypoxic conditions.