Effect of the interval of serial sections of ovarian tissue in the tissue chopper on the number of isolated caprine preantral follicles

The present work investigated the effect of the interval of serial sections of ovarian tissue on the number of isolated preantral follicles in the goa t. Goat ovaries were cut in the tissue chopper at eight different intervals . The quality of isolated follicles were evaluated by histology and transmi ssion electron microscopy. Best results were obtained when the ovaries were cut in the tissue chopper at intervals of 75.0 mu m (9664 preantral follic les per ovary). Histochemical and ultrastructural analysis showed that the follicular morphology was preserved after mechanical isolation as demonstra ted by the normality of oocytes and granulosa cells as well as by preservat ion of basement membrane. The percentages of isolated primordial, primary a nd secondary follicles were 96.3%, 2.5%, and 1.2% and their average diamete rs were 21.5, 34.7 and 65.3 mu m, respectively. It was concluded that the i nterval of serial sections of ovarian tissue in the tissue chopper affects the number of isolated preantral follicles, and that the follicles remained intact after mechanical isolation in goats. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.