Name: orthotopic ovarian transplantation procedures to investigate the life- and health-span influence of ovarian senescence in female mice
Uploaded: 2018-02-12T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Orthotopic Ovarian Transplantation Procedures to Investigate the Life- and Health-span Influence of Ovarian Senescence in Female Mice at JoVE.com

Research reported in this publication was supported by a generous gift of 14-month-old female CBA mice from the National Institute on Aging, Aged Rodent Colony (Nancy Nadon) and by Utah State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences.

All methods described here were developed under National Research Council guidelines found in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and have been approved by the Utah State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
NOTE: Ovarian transplantation procedures may involve mice (CBA/J strain) from 21 days of age to 18 months of age. Mice of the CBA/J strain become reproductively competent between 45 and 60 days of age and reproductively senescent between 10 and 12 months...

<ol>
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E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Acarbose,+17-alpha-estradiol,+and+nordihydroguaiaretic+acid+extend+mouse+lifespan+preferentially+in+males.">Acarbose, 17-alpha-estradiol, and nordihydroguaiaretic acid extend mouse lifespan preferentially in males.</a> Aging Cell. 13 (2), 273-282 (2013).</li><li>Manay, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=17&#945;-Estradiol+Attenuates+Neuron+Loss+in+Ovariectomized+Dtg+A&#946;PP/PS1+Mice.">17&#945;-Estradiol Attenuates Neuron Loss in Ovariectomized Dtg A&#946;PP/PS1 Mice.</a> J. Alzheimers Dis. 23 (4), 629-639 (2011).</li><li>Parker, W. 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Ovariectomy and transplantation of intact and germ cell-depleted ovaries have been conducted in mice ranging from 21 days to 18 months of age. When performing an ovariectomy where it is desirable to maintain the ovarian bursa intact, care must be taken when incising the bursal tissue. In mice older than six months of age, much of the bursa becomes overlaid with the fat pad, which limits the areas that can be used for access. In these cases, it is often advantageous to tear the bursa open close to the fat pad border. This...

The influence of reproduction on health and life span is often mistakenly thought of as restricted only to the period encompassing reproductive competency. While the lifestyle and phenotypes associated with the reproductively competent phase of the life span are easily differentiated from the pre- and postreproductive phases, reproductive status influences health throughout all phases of the life span. The period of reproductive competency is often referred to as the reproductive life span, differentiating itself from the chronological life span. This terminology lends itself to an artificial separation of the two life-span designations when in reality, both are closely tied to each other with events affecting one, more often than not, affecting the other as well.
Evidence over the past decade indicates that an individual&#39;s reproductive status is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic health conditions1. One study documented an association between shorter life spans and reproductive failure for a cohort of men2. The association is even more striking in women. Cardiovascular disease is rare in premenopausal women3, but ovarian failure increases cardiovascular disease sharply at menopause4 and in young women with premature ovarian failure5. Insulin resistance6 and bone loss increase at menopause7 and almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer&#39;s disease are women8. Well-defined changes in ovarian signaling mark the transition from a premenopausal, disease-resistant state, to a postmenopausal, disease-burdened state. This stable transition, presents an opportunity to identify mechanisms that accelerate disease risks in aging.
Recently, transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue has been used to restore fertility in women that undergo medical procedures which may endanger the germ line cells, such as chemotherapy. Transplantation of ovarian tissue can also be used to produce viable offspring in animals with non-ovarian based infertility, including transgenic mice9. Ovarian transplantation is an efficient method to separate the influence of reproductive function or reproductive aging from chronological aging per se.
The well-established supportive role for ovarian hormones in many aspects of female health implicates the loss of hormone production from actively cycling germ cells, as the principal cause of increased disease risks at menopause. While the value of ovarian hormones in female health is unquestionable, replacing these hormones in peri- and postmenopausal women has been unreliable in restoration of the health benefits enjoyed by young women with young ovaries. These health benefits are reliably restored by heterochronic transplantation of young ovaries to postreproductive female mice10,11,12,13,14.
Reproductive status of both donor and recipient mice should be determined prior to and after transplantation or ovariectomy procedures. Presumptive postreproductive mice that display signs of gonadal input prior to surgery at 12 months of age are excluded from these experiments. Gonadal input is determined by vaginal cytology. Data on vaginal cytology are collected for at least 10 consecutive days pre-surgery to ensure a postreproductive state in recipient mice and actively-cycling ovaries in donor mice. One estrous cycle is defined as the period from the day nucleated epithelial cells first appear (i.e., proestrus) to the day preceding the next appearance of nucleated epithelial cells in the vaginal smear, provided that there is a period of leukocytic presence (i.e., diestrus) in between. Estrus is determined by the presence of large, squamous epithelial cells, with or without nuclei. Mice that display no cyclic activity for a 10 day period before and/or after surgery are determined to have no gonadal input for said period. Mice that display at least one full estrous cycle in a 10 day period before and/or after surgery are determined to have gonadal input for said period. Female mice should be housed in the presence of male mice or exposed to soiled bedding from a male&#39;s cage to ensure consistent exposure to cycle-inducing stimuli.
These transplantation procedures are most efficiently accomplished with two surgeons working simultaneously on donor and recipient mice. However, the procedures are easily accomplished by one surgeon, with the donor ovaries most often recovered prior to beginning the ovariectomy procedure on the recipient mouse. This protocol describes the procedure for the single surgeon. Exposure of the reproductive tract and closure of the site is normally done without a microscope, whereas the removal and replacement of the ovaries is done under a microscope. As with learning any surgical procedure, incision sites may be larger and surgeries may take longer while first learning the procedure and will generally decrease with experience.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Dissecting microscope</td>
			<td>Any dissecting scope with an adjustable working distance.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Warm Water Recirculator and appropriate pad for your size surgical/recovery field.</td>
			<td>Stryker/Gaymar</td>
			<td>TP700</td>
			<td>Circulating water pads produce even and consistent temperature operating and recovery fields.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical instruments-dissection instruments for access to the reproductive tract</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Choice of specific surgical instruments is highly surgeon-specific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical instruments-fine instruments for the transplantation procedure.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Choice of specific surgical instruments is highly surgeon-specific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Suture material for abdominal wall</td>
			<td>eSutures</td>
			<td>G3756K: 6-0 MILD CHROMIC GUT 18&#34; HE-7 CUTTING, DOUBLE ARMED</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Suture material for ovarian bursa</td>
			<td>eSutures</td>
			<td>2809G: 9-0 or 2810G: 10-0 ETHILON BLACK 5&#34; BV130-5 TAPER</td>
			<td>10-0 suture can be difficult to locate if dropped on the surgery field.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Absorbable gelatin sponge</td>
			<td>PFIZER.</td>
			<td>Gelfoam- PFIZER 09-0315-08.</td>
			<td>cut into small (~2mm) pieces under sterile conditions.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Staples for skin closure</td>
			<td>Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td>MikRon Autoclip 9mm (BD 427631)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Eye ointment.</td>
			<td>MWI Veterinary Supply Co.</td>
			<td>Puralube sterile opthalmic ointment</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringes for anesthesia, analgesia and epinephrine</td>
			<td>MWI Veterinary Supply Co.</td>
			<td>BD 305536</td>
			<td>27g x 3/8in,Intradermal Bevel 1/2ml</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringes for saline.</td>
			<td>MWI Veterinary Supply Co.</td>
			<td>BD 309657.</td>
			<td>3ml syringe, luer-lok tip, 27g needle</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Clippers/blade</td>
			<td>Andis</td>
			<td>Super AGR+&#8482; Cordless Detachable Blade Clipper and a CeramicEdge&#174; #40 blade.</td>
			<td>Any clippers with a fine blade.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol</td>
			<td>University chemical supply</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>dilute to 70% for use.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Betadine solution</td>
			<td>MWI Veterinary Supply Co.</td>
			<td>003233</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2x2 gauze pads</td>
			<td>MWI Veterinary Supply Co.</td>
			<td>003073</td>
			<td>autoclaved with surgery packs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Borosilicate glass beads</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Co.</td>
			<td>Z273619</td>
			<td>Autoclave in sintilation vials</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Co.</td>
			<td>94956</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sesame oil</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Co.</td>
			<td>S3547</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

orthotopic ovarian transplantation procedures to investigate the life- and health-span influence of ovarian senescence in female mice

Ovarian transplantation was first conducted at Utah State University in 1963. In more recent work, heterochronic transplantation of mammalian ovaries is being used to investigate the health-protective effects of young ovaries in young females. The current procedures employ an orthotopic transplantation method, where allogenic ovaries are transplanted back to their original position in the ovarian bursa. This is in contrast to the more commonly used heterotopic transplantation of ovaries/ovarian tissue subcutaneously or under the kidney capsule. All three locations provide efficient revascularization of the transplanted tissues. However, orthotopic transplantation provides the ovary with the most natural signaling environment and is the only procedure that provides the opportunity for the animal to reproduce naturally post-operatively. One must take care to remove all endogenous ovarian tissue during the ovariectomy procedure. If any endogenous tissue remains or if only one ovary is removed, the transplanted tissue will remain dormant until the existing tissue becomes senescent. While revascularization of the transplanted ovaries occurs very quickly, the transplant recipient can take a considerable amount of time to adapt to a new hypothalamic/pituitary/gonadal/adrenal (HPG/A) axis signaling regime associated with the transplanted tissue. This normally takes about 100 days in the mouse. Therefore, transplantation experiments should be designed to accommodate this adaptation period. Typical results with ovarian transplantation will include changes in the health of the recipient that reflect the age of the transplanted ovary, rather than the chronological age of the recipient.

Ovariectomy at 21 days of age will avoid major up-regulation of the reproductive system at the onset of puberty and eliminate other influences the female gonad might have in addition to direct effects of gonadal hormones. Reproductive decline in CBA/J mice usually begins with irregular cycles at 8-10 months of age. At 11 months of age, most females in this line of mice have reached a point of reproductive failure15 with a complete loss of responsive oocytes by 12 m...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Orthotopic Ovarian Transplantation Procedures to Investigate the Life- and Health-span Influence of Ovarian Senescence in Female Mice at JoVE.com

Orthotopic Ovarian Transplantation Procedures to Investigate the Life- and Health-span Influence of Ovarian Senescence in Female Mice

Described here are orthotopic ovarian transplantation protocols for modifying ovarian influence on the physiology of the recipient mouse. This surgical procedure is used to expose female mice to various types of ovarian influence and may include heterochronic transplantations and transplantation of ovaries that have undergone various ex vivo treatments.

Ovarian transplantation was first conducted at Utah State University in 1963. In more recent work, heterochronic transplantation of mammalian ovaries is ...

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