PREVENTIVE ACTION OF NEONATAL GENE THERAPY WITH THE THYMIC HORMONE THYMULIN ON THE OVARIAN ATROPHY OF ADULT NUDE MICE

REGGIANI PC, FLAMINI MA, RODRÍGUEZ SS, GOYA RG, BARBEITO CG

Huerta Grande. Córdoba

Congreso; I Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biología de la República Argentina. Huerta Grande. Córdoba. Agosto 2007; 2007

Sociedades de Biología de la República Argentina

Congenitally athymic (nude) female mice show abnormal ovaries and a significantly reduced fertility. Recent evidence suggests that the absence of the thymic peptide thymulin in these mutants may be involved in the genesis of the reproductive derangements of these animals. Here we investigated the effect of neonatal thymulin gene therapy on the ovaries of adult nude mice. To this end we used an adenoviral vector harboring a synthetic gene for thymulin, or an irrelevant adenoviral vector used as control. Vectors were injected i.m. on postnatal day 1 or 2 and the animals were sacrificed at 70 days of age. Serum thymulin levels were measured by a bioassay. Nudes submitted to neonatal thymulin gene therapy did not show any deficiency in serum thymulin levels. Ovaries were processed for H & E staining. The gonads of the untreated nudes showed neither antral nor mature follicles and had scarce corpora lutea. In these ovaries, most of the follicles displayed different degrees of atresia. Untreated heterozygous (normal) females showed ovaries with normal follicles and corpora lutea. Nude mice submitted to thymulin gene therapy displayed gonads with intermediate characteristics, with some follicles displaying normal antra and corpora lutea. These normal follicles were fewer than in the normal mice. We conclude that neonatal thymulin gene therapy partially prevents the ovarian alterations of adult nudes.