Recovering Spermatogenesis By Protected Cryopreservation Using Metformin and Transplanting Spermatogonial Stem Cells Into Testis in an Azoospermia Mouse Model

Biopreserv Biobank. 2023 Aug 15. doi: 10.1089/bio.2022.0178. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTCryopreservation and transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) may serve as a new method to restore male fertility in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. However, SSCs may be damaged during cryopreservation due to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, different antioxidants have been used as protective agents. Studies have shown that metformin (MET) has antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to assess the antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects of MET in frozen-thawed SSCs. In addition, the effect of MET on the proliferation and differentiation of SSCs was evaluated. To this end, SSCs were isolated from mouse pups aged 3-6 days old, cultured, identified by flow cytometry (ID4, INTEGRIN β1+), and finally evaluated for survival and ROS rate. SSCs were transplanted after busulfan and cadmium treatment. Cryopreserved SSCs with and without MET were transplanted after 1 month of cryopreservation. Eight weeks after transplantation, the recipient testes were evaluated for the expression of apoptosis (BAX, BCL2), proliferation (PLZF), and differentiation (SCP3, TP1, TP2, PRM1) markers using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The findings revealed that the survival rate of SSCs was higher in the 500 μm/mL MET group compared to the other groups (50 and 5000 μm/mL). MET significantly decre...
Source: Biopreservation and Biobanking - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research