Shabnam Abdi - Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) as a growth factor play an important role during early ovarian development and folliculogenesisy, The purpose of the present study was to evaluated the development of follicles and incidence of apoptosis in cultured neonatal mouse ovaries in the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor BMP15.Methods: The ovaries of one- week old mouse were cultured in minimum essential medium in the presence or absence of BMP15 for 7 days. The development of ovarian follicles was analyzed by hematoxylin–eosin staining. Apoptosis assessment was done using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method, and caspase-3/7 activity technique at the beginning and at the end of culture period. The levels of 17-β estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) were done on the collected media during culture period.Result: The percentage of preantral follicles and the levels of 17-β estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) hormones were increased in all cultured groups and it was significantly higher in BMP15 supplemented groups inn compared with control groups (P< 0.001). The level of caspase-3/7 activity and DNA fragmentation were prominent in control cultured ovaries after culture.Conclusion: BMP15 treatment appeared to significantly increase the ovarian follicular development and decreased the proportion of apoptotic cell during 7 days of culture of neonatal ovaries.

Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), In vitro culture, Apoptosis