Caspase-mediated apoptotic activation following human ovarian tissue transplantation: insights from hormonal and bioinformatic network analysis
摘要
Ovarian transplantation after cryopreservation has gained increasing attention as a potential strategy for the restoration of ovarian endocrine function and fertility following ovarian failure. The present study aimed to evaluate the suitable experimental model for human ovarian tissue transplantation. To achieve this aim, two experimental groups were designed: a control group without transplantation and a transplantation group in which vitrified–warmed human ovarian tissue were grafted into human recipients. Before transplantation, recipient females exhibited a pronounced reduction in circulating reproductive hormones, including luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, and progesterone, reflecting compromised ovarian endocrine function. In contrast, ovarian tissue transplantation resulted in a significant restoration of hormonal levels, with marked increases in LH, FSH, estrogen, and progesterone, indicating functional recovery of the grafted ovarian tissue. At the cellular level, transplantation was associated with favorable modulation of apoptotic pathways, as demonstrated by altered expression of caspase-3, caspase-8 and BAX, suggesting attenuation of apoptosis and improved cell survival within the ovarian tissue. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to investigate gene interaction networks and enriched signaling pathways associated with apoptotic regulation in the transplanted ovarian tissue. These results demonstrate that ovarian transplantation promotes restoration of endocrine function and reduces apoptotic activity. The findings support the potential utility of ovarian transplantation as an effective therapeutic approach for ovarian function restoration.