Folliculogenesis in non-human primates (Aotus nancymaae and Sapajus macrocephalus): morphometry and immunostaining of Caspase-3, Bcl-2, PCNA and AMH proteins
Reproduction, Primates, Aotus, Sapajus
This work aims to contribute with the knowledge of the reproductive efficiency of female non-human primates (NHP). We analyzed the ovarian morphology, identifying the in situ location of cellular components involved in the process of apoptosis and follicular proliferation, as well as the expression of the anti-Mullerian hormone. For this, ovaries of six females of Aotus nancymaae and Sapajus macrocephalus. The samples were preserved in formaldehyde, and then in 70% alcohol; submitted to histological processing, and 5 μm thick sections were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin. Then the steps of immunohistochemical applications for Caspase-3, Bcl-2, PCNA and Anti-Müllerian Hormone were performed. The BioEstat 5.0 program was used to analyze the parameters of descriptive statistics. The morphometric and quantification data of the following were presented in Mean ± standard deviation and proliferation rates (IAP and IFP) and apoptotic (IAC and IFA) of the follicular types will be evaluated by analysis of variance ANOVA Two-way following the assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity, and the differences between the stages will be verified by the Tukey test (Software Bioestat 5.0). In order to determine the association between apoptotic and proliferative indices, linear regression analysis will be performed. In the females of Aotus nancymaae, positive immunostaining was observed for Caspase-3 in the stromal region and follicular cells of primary follicles, secondary follicles, of Graaf follicles and granulosa cells, as well as corpus luteum of females in the luteal, pregnant and follicular reproductive stages. Positive Bcl-2 immobilization was also observed in follicular cells and oocytes of primordial, primary and secondary follicles and Graaf follicles; and PCNA positive immunoblotting in nuclei and cytoplasm of oocytes from primordial and primary follicles in the female gonads of the luteal stage, in primordial follicles in pregnant females, and in primordial normal follicles and atresic follicles of females at the follicular stage. Thus, the immunostaining techniques for the Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and PCNA proteins were essential to determine the ovarian dynamics analysis, in order to provide data suggesting that follicles are in a state of atresia or development.