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Beschta S, Eubler K, Bohne N, Forne I, Berg D, Berg U, Mayerhofer A. A rapid and robust method for the cryopreservation of human granulosa cells. Histochem Cell Biol 2021; 156:509-517. [PMID: 34313845 PMCID: PMC8604824 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-021-02019-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human primary granulosa cells (GCs) derived from women undergoing oocyte retrieval can be cultured and used as a cellular model for the study of human ovarian function. In vitro, they change rapidly, initially resembling cells of the preovulatory follicle and then cells of the corpus luteum. They are derived from individual patients, whose different medical history, lifestyle and age lead to heterogeneity. Thus, cells can rarely be ideally matched for cellular experiments or, if available, only in small quantities. We reasoned that cryopreservation of human GCs may be helpful to improve this situation. Previous studies indicated the feasibility of such an approach, but low survival of human GCs was reported, and effects on human GC functionality were only partially evaluated. We tested a slow freezing protocol (employing FCS and DMSO) for human GCs upon isolation from follicular fluid. We compared cryopreserved and subsequently thawed cells with fresh, non-cryopreserved cells from the same patients. About 80% of human GCs survived freezing/thawing. No differences were found in cell morphology, survival rate in culture, or transcript levels of mitochondrial (COX4, OPA1, TOMM20), steroidogenic (CYP11A1, CYP19A1) or cell-cell contact genes (GJA1) between the two groups in cells cultured for 1-5 days. A proteomic analysis revealed no statistically significant change in the abundance of a total of 5962 proteins. The two groups produced comparable basal levels of progesterone and responded similarly to hCG with elevation of progesterone. Taken together, our results show this to be a rapid and readily available method for the cryopreservation of human GCs. We anticipate that it will allow future large-scale experiments and may thereby improve cellular studies with human ovarian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Beschta
- Cell Biology, Anatomy III, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Center Munich (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), 82152, Martinsried, Germany
- Fertility Centre A.R.T. Bogenhausen, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Eubler
- Cell Biology, Anatomy III, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Center Munich (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Nancy Bohne
- Fertility Centre A.R.T. Bogenhausen, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Ignasi Forne
- Protein Analysis Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Center Munich (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dieter Berg
- Fertility Centre A.R.T. Bogenhausen, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrike Berg
- Fertility Centre A.R.T. Bogenhausen, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Artur Mayerhofer
- Cell Biology, Anatomy III, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Center Munich (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
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