<p>In all vertebrate species, reproduction is a hormonally controlled process, important for growth and maturation of gonads and germ cells. Production of functional germ cells is of outmost importance to secure the survival of a species. Fish comprises 50% of the known vertebrates and are found in aquatic habitats all over the world. Even though fish have evolved a wide variety of morphological and physiological characteristics, due to large differences in the living environment, the growth an maturation of germ cells follows the same pattern in all species. In this thesis the focus has been directed on oocyte growth and development in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), and if stress might inflict disturbances on the reproductive systems.</p><p>All sexually mature female egg laying vertebrates produces yolky eggs surrounded by an eggshell. Production of yolk and egg shell is under estrogenic control and it is known that production of egg components can be induced in male and juvenile fish by estrogenic substances. Many manmade chemicals have been found to interfere with hormonally controlled processes. Therefore production of the egg yolk precursor, vitellogenin (VTG), and the egg shell components, vitelline envelope proteins (VEP), have been used as biomarkers for estrogenic effect. Exposure to endocrine disrupting substances (EDS) does not only give rise to hormonal effects on the organism, but in addition it also gives rise to an increase in stress hormone, cortisol (F), levels. </p><p>It is evident that a wide variety of substances may affect Arctic char oocyte growth and maturation. VTG and VEP production is found to be under dose dependent estrogenic control, but the production was directly affected by F. Under natural condition it has been found that F increases towards ovulation. Even though both VTG and VTG is under estrogenic control, these studies showed that stress lead to a decrease of VTG while the VEP production increased. These effects was only observed on protein levels indicating that a post transcriptional down regulation of VTG production is mediated by F in Arctic char.</p><p>In order for an egg to become fertilizatible, it must undergo a maturation phase. This maturation phase is primarily induced by gonadotropins, which in turn induce the production of species specific maturation inducing substances (MIS). To investigate oocyte development in Arctic char a characterization of its MIS receptor was made. The MIS receptor is localized on the oocyte surface and displays a single class of high affinity and low capacity binding sites. The binding moieties displays association and dissociation kinetics typical of steroid membrane receptors.</p><p>Even though high specificity for Arctic char MIS was observed, it was found that some EDS bind to the Arctic char oocyte membrane receptor. This suggest that certain EDS might affect oocyte maturation and thereby might alter the reproductive success. Furthermore, it was found that F did not bind to the MIS receptor in Arctic char. It is therefore suggested that oocytes are more sensitive to stress during the growth phase than during maturation</p>

In all vertebrate species, reproduction is a hormonally controlled process, important for growth and maturation of gonads and germ cells. Production of functional germ cells is of outmost importance to secure the survival of a species. Fish comprises 50% of the known vertebrates and are found in aquatic habitats all over the world. Even though fish have evolved a wide variety of morphological and physiological characteristics, due to large differences in the living environment, the growth an maturation of germ cells follows the same pattern in all species. In this thesis the focus has been directed on oocyte growth and development in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), and if stress might inflict disturbances on the reproductive systems. All sexually mature female egg laying vertebrates produces yolky eggs surrounded by an eggshell. Production of yolk and egg shell is under estrogenic control and it is known that production of egg components can be induced in male and juvenile fish by estrogenic substances. Many manmade chemicals have been found to interfere with hormonally controlled processes. Therefore production of the egg yolk precursor, vitellogenin (VTG), and the egg shell components, vitelline envelope proteins (VEP), have been used as biomarkers for estrogenic effect. Exposure to endocrine disrupting substances (EDS) does not only give rise to hormonal effects on the organism, but in addition it also gives rise to an increase in stress hormone, cortisol (F), levels. It is evident that a wide variety of substances may affect Arctic char oocyte growth and maturation. VTG and VEP production is found to be under dose dependent estrogenic control, but the production was directly affected by F. Under natural condition it has been found that F increases towards ovulation. Even though both VTG and VTG is under estrogenic control, these studies showed that stress lead to a decrease of VTG while the VEP production increased. These effects was only observed on protein levels indicating that a post transcriptional down regulation of VTG production is mediated by F in Arctic char. In order for an egg to become fertilizatible, it must undergo a maturation phase. This maturation phase is primarily induced by gonadotropins, which in turn induce the production of species specific maturation inducing substances (MIS). To investigate oocyte development in Arctic char a characterization of its MIS receptor was made. The MIS receptor is localized on the oocyte surface and displays a single class of high affinity and low capacity binding sites. The binding moieties displays association and dissociation kinetics typical of steroid membrane receptors. Even though high specificity for Arctic char MIS was observed, it was found that some EDS bind to the Arctic char oocyte membrane receptor. This suggest that certain EDS might affect oocyte maturation and thereby might alter the reproductive success. Furthermore, it was found that F did not bind to the MIS receptor in Arctic char. It is therefore suggested that oocytes are more sensitive to stress during the growth phase than during maturation

In vertebrate oocytes, meiotic progression is driven by the sequential translational activation of maternal messenger RNAs stored in the cytoplasm. This activation is mainly induced by the cytoplasmic elongation of their poly(A) tails, which is mediated by the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element (CPE) present in their 3’ untranslated regions (3´ UTRs). Sequential, phase-specific translation of these maternal mRNAs is required to complete the two meiotic divisions. Although the earlier polyadenylation events in prophase I and metaphase I are driven by the CPE-binding protein 1 (CPEB1), 90% of this protein is degraded by the anaphase promoting complex in the first meiotic division. The low levels of CPEB1 during interkinesis and in metaphase II raise the question of how the cytoplasmic polyadenylation required for the second meiotic division is achieved. In this work, we demonstrate that CPEB1 activates the translation of the maternal mRNA encoding CPEB4, which, in turn, recruits the cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase GLD2 to “late” CPE-regulated mRNAs driving the transition from metaphase I to metaphase II, and, therefore, replacing CPEB1 for “late” meiosis polyadenylation.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-17T16:51:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-08-25. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-05-17T16:55:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000858340.pdf: 1640939 bytes, checksum: fc02bd8ed0c9991ee8bbed594e41a5a7 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Esta pesquisa pretendeu estabelecer estratégias para aumentar a eficiência da produção in vitro de embriões (PIVE) bubalinos. Neste contexto, avaliou a eficiência de protocolos de sincronização de doadoras de oócitos bubalinas visando aumentar a disponibilidade e qualidade dos oócitos obtidos pela aspiração folicular guiada por ultrassom (OPU) e o efeito da fonte de obtenção dos oócitos sobre a quantidade e qualidade dos mesmos. Além disso, analisou-se o efeito do fotoperíodo sobre a quantidade e qualidade do oócitos disponíveis, além da competência destes expressos pelas taxas de PIVE. Por fim, avaliou-se o efeito da adição do óleo essencial de Lippia origanoides (OELO) nas concentrações de 2,5; 5,0 e 10μg/mL, no meio de maturação in vitro (MIV) sobre as taxas de maturação oocitária, qualidade embrionária e PIVE em bovinos e bubalinos. Ovários e oócitos de animais não protocolados, protocolados por aspiração prévia dos folículos e protocolados com uso de hormônios esteróides e gonadotróficos, foram avaliados ultrassonograficamente e de acordo com a qualidade dos oócitos recolhidos por OPU. Demonstrou-se não haver variação na população folicular, no número e na qualidade dos oócitos recuperados por sessão, exceto uma redução dos folículos e oócitos Grau A foi notada quando o ciclo estral foi sincronizado por aspiração prévia dos folículos(p<0,05). Em relação a fonte de obtenção, para todos parâmetros avaliados, foi notada superioridade quando oócitos são recuperados de ovários de frigorífico(p<0,05). A qualidade dos oócitos recolhidos por OPU e a PIVE bubalinos foi influenciada pelo fotoperíodo na região estudada, elevando-se durante os meses de baixa luminosidade(p<0,05), fato não observado em bovinos. Por fim, a partir de avaliações da cromatina com DAPI, encontrou-se uma elevação da taxa de maturação nuclear em bovinos quando utilizou-se concentrações de... / This study aimed to develop strategies to increase the efficiency of buffalo in vitro embryo production (IVEP). In this context, we evaluated the efficiency of synchronization protocols on buffalo oocyte donor aimed at increasing the availability and quality of oocytes obtained by ovum pick-up (OPU) and the effect of the source of obtaining oocytes on the quantity and quality. In addition, we analyzed the effect of photoperiod on the quantity and quality of oocytes available on ovary, beyond the competence of those expressed by the blastocyst rate. Finally, we evaluate the effect of essential oil of Lippia origanoides (EOLO) added at concentrations of 2.5, 5.0 and 10μg/ml, on in vitro maturation (IVM) media over oocyte maturation rate, embryo quality and IVEP on cattle and buffalo. Ovaries and oocytes of animals without protocol, protocol by prior aspiration of follicles and protocol with use of steroids and gonadotropic hormones were evaluated by ultrasonography and according to the of oocyte quality. It was demonstrated not vary the follicular population, number and quality of oocytes retrieved per session between the protocols but a reduction of follicles and Grade A oocytes was noted when the follicles were aspirated previously OPU. Regarding the oocyte source (live animals and abattoir ovaries), all evaluated parameters showed superiority when oocytes were derived from abattoir ovaries. The quality of oocytes collected by OPU and IVEP buffaloes was influenced by photoperiod in the region studied, increased when daylight decreases, which was not observed in cattle. Finally, from evaluations of chromatin stained with DAPI, it was found that bovine nuclear maturation rate increased when used concentrations of 2,5μg/ml EOLO. The quality of oocytes, expressed by cell number, increased when used concentrations of 2.5 and 5μg/ml of EOLO in buffaloes. Although it has not changed the blastocyst rate of PIVE in both species, the EOLO has ...

Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-05T18:29:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-04-30. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-02-05T18:33:47Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000855269_20160630.pdf: 286543 bytes, checksum: 5020c7c1a34954f8c74ab47264e00554 (MD5) Bitstreams deleted on 2016-07-01T13:02:22Z: 000855269_20160630.pdf,. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-07-01T13:03:18Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000855269.pdf: 729163 bytes, checksum: e2cf9859667e5147b04332c894c07c5a (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina-1 recombinante-3 (IGF-LongR3), um análogo sintético do IGF-1 de maior biodisponibilidade, ainda não foi utilizado no meio de maturação in vitro (MIV) de complexos cumulus-oócito (CCOs). Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar e comparar os efeitos da adição de IGF-LongR3 e do fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina-1 (IGF-1) na MIV de CCOs bovinos, sobre a progressão meiótica, apoptose e expressão de genes nos oócitos (GDF9, BMP15, BAX, BCL2, OOSP1, IGFBP2, IGBFP4 e IGFBP5) e respectivas células do cumulus (AREG, EGFR, FSHR, COX2, BAX, BCL2, IGFBP2, IGFBP4 e IGFBP5). Ovários bovinos foram coletados em abatedouro, sendo selecionados 739 CCOs após aspiração de folículos de 2-8mm de diâmetro. A MIV foi realizada em meio base de maturação contendo IGF-1 (100ng/mL), IGF-LongR3 (100ng/mL), e dois grupos controles: 0,1% de álcool polivinílico (PVA) ou 10% de soro fetal bovino (SFB), durante 22-24 horas em estufa a 38,5ºC e 5% de CO2. Posteriormente os oócitos foram desnudados e preparados para a técnica de TUNEL, coloração Hoechst 33342 e RT-qPCR, intencionando-se avaliar a apoptose, maturação nuclear e a expressão gênica, respectivamente. A análise estatística foi realizada por um modelo linear de efeitos mistos, o qual relacionou a mudança de estádio de metáfase 1 para metáfase 2 e a ausência de apoptose entre os grupos experimentais, pelo programa lmer4. Os testes ANOVA e Tukey foram utilizados para análise dos resultados obtidos pelo RT-qPCR. Ao final de dez réplicas de MIV foram avaliados 339 (n= 5 réplicas) oócitos quanto à progressão meiótica e apoptose e 400 (n= 5 réplicas) quanto à expressão gênica. Não foi observada diferença significativa (P<0,05) entre os grupos experimentais com relação à progressão meiótica e apoptose. Foi possível detectar a expressão de mRNA para todos os genes avaliados nos oócitos e respectivas células... / The insuline like growth factor-1 recombinant-3 (LongR3-IGF-1) a synthetic analogue of IGF-1 with greater bioavailability has not yet been used in in vitro maturation medium of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of LongR3-IGF-1 and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) addition in the IVM of bovine oocytes on meiotic progression, apoptosis, and genic expression COCs (GDF9, BMP15, BAX, BCL2, OOSP1, IGFBP2, IGBFP4 e IGFBP5) and their respectively cumulus cells (AREG, EGFR, FSHR, COX2, BAX, BCL2, IGFBP2, IGFBP4 e IGFBP5). Bovine ovaries were collected in slaughterhouse being selected 739 oocytes after aspiration of follicles from 2-8mm diameter. In vitro maturation (IVM) was performed on basic maturation medium containing IGF-1 (100 ng/ml), LongR3-IGF-1 (100ng/ml), and two control groups: 0.1% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), for 22-24 hours in an incubator at 38.5°C and 5% CO2. Subsequently oocytes were denuded and prepared for TUNEL technique, staining Hoechst 33342 and RT-qPCR, intending to evaluate apoptosis, nuclear maturation and gene expression, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed effects model, which correlated the change in metaphase stage 1 to 2 and the absence of apoptosis among the experimental groups. ANOVA and Tukey tests were used to analyze the results obtained by RTqPCR. After ten replicas of IVM, 339 oocytes (n=5 pools) were evaluated for meiotic progression and apoptosis and 400 (n=5 pools) for gene expression. There was no statistical difference (P>0,05) between the experimental groups with respect to meiotic progression and apoptosis. It was possible to detect mRNA expression of all evaluated genes in the oocyte and its cumulus cells in all experimental groups. There was statistical difference between the group 10% FBS and IGF-1 and LongR3-IGF-1 groups for the expression of gene IGFBP4 in ...

Orientador: Fernanda da Cruz Landim-Alvarenga / Coorientador: Anthony César de Souza Castilho / Banca: Mariana Fernandes Machado / Banca: Ester Siqueira Caixeta / Resumo: O fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina-1 recombinante-3 (IGF-LongR3), um análogo sintético do IGF-1 de maior biodisponibilidade, ainda não foi utilizado no meio de maturação in vitro (MIV) de complexos cumulus-oócito (CCOs). Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar e comparar os efeitos da adição de IGF-LongR3 e do fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina-1 (IGF-1) na MIV de CCOs bovinos, sobre a progressão meiótica, apoptose e expressão de genes nos oócitos (GDF9, BMP15, BAX, BCL2, OOSP1, IGFBP2, IGBFP4 e IGFBP5) e respectivas células do cumulus (AREG, EGFR, FSHR, COX2, BAX, BCL2, IGFBP2, IGFBP4 e IGFBP5). Ovários bovinos foram coletados em abatedouro, sendo selecionados 739 CCOs após aspiração de folículos de 2-8mm de diâmetro. A MIV foi realizada em meio base de maturação contendo IGF-1 (100ng/mL), IGF-LongR3 (100ng/mL), e dois grupos controles: 0,1% de álcool polivinílico (PVA) ou 10% de soro fetal bovino (SFB), durante 22-24 horas em estufa a 38,5ºC e 5% de CO2. Posteriormente os oócitos foram desnudados e preparados para a técnica de TUNEL, coloração Hoechst 33342 e RT-qPCR, intencionando-se avaliar a apoptose, maturação nuclear e a expressão gênica, respectivamente. A análise estatística foi realizada por um modelo linear de efeitos mistos, o qual relacionou a mudança de estádio de metáfase 1 para metáfase 2 e a ausência de apoptose entre os grupos experimentais, pelo programa lmer4. Os testes ANOVA e Tukey foram utilizados para análise dos resultados obtidos pelo RT-qPCR. Ao final de dez réplicas de MIV foram avaliados 339 (n= 5 réplicas) oócitos quanto à progressão meiótica e apoptose e 400 (n= 5 réplicas) quanto à expressão gênica. Não foi observada diferença significativa (P<0,05) entre os grupos experimentais com relação à progressão meiótica e apoptose. Foi possível detectar a expressão de mRNA para todos os genes avaliados nos oócitos e respectivas células... / Abstract: The insuline like growth factor-1 recombinant-3 (LongR3-IGF-1) a synthetic analogue of IGF-1 with greater bioavailability has not yet been used in in vitro maturation medium of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of LongR3-IGF-1 and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) addition in the IVM of bovine oocytes on meiotic progression, apoptosis, and genic expression COCs (GDF9, BMP15, BAX, BCL2, OOSP1, IGFBP2, IGBFP4 e IGFBP5) and their respectively cumulus cells (AREG, EGFR, FSHR, COX2, BAX, BCL2, IGFBP2, IGFBP4 e IGFBP5). Bovine ovaries were collected in slaughterhouse being selected 739 oocytes after aspiration of follicles from 2-8mm diameter. In vitro maturation (IVM) was performed on basic maturation medium containing IGF-1 (100 ng/ml), LongR3-IGF-1 (100ng/ml), and two control groups: 0.1% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), for 22-24 hours in an incubator at 38.5°C and 5% CO2. Subsequently oocytes were denuded and prepared for TUNEL technique, staining Hoechst 33342 and RT-qPCR, intending to evaluate apoptosis, nuclear maturation and gene expression, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed effects model, which correlated the change in metaphase stage 1 to 2 and the absence of apoptosis among the experimental groups. ANOVA and Tukey tests were used to analyze the results obtained by RTqPCR. After ten replicas of IVM, 339 oocytes (n=5 pools) were evaluated for meiotic progression and apoptosis and 400 (n=5 pools) for gene expression. There was no statistical difference (P>0,05) between the experimental groups with respect to meiotic progression and apoptosis. It was possible to detect mRNA expression of all evaluated genes in the oocyte and its cumulus cells in all experimental groups. There was statistical difference between the group 10% FBS and IGF-1 and LongR3-IGF-1 groups for the expression of gene IGFBP4 in ... / Mestre

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Holothuria scabra est l'holothurie comestible à haute valeur marchande la plus distribuée et la plus exploitée dans l'Indo-Pacifique tropical. Dès lors, et à cause de la demande croissante des pays importateurs et consommateurs, les stocks naturels de l'espèce sont confrontés actuellement un problème de surexploitation. A Madagascar, les situations économique, sociale et politique difficiles ainsi que l'insuffisance d'un plan efficace pour l'aménagement de cette exploitation, rendent la situation plus délicate encore. La surexploitation se traduit par la diminution de la production, la raréfaction de certaines espèces, la dégradation de la qualité du produit et entraîne une forte concurrence entre les exploitants et le non respect de la législation existante. Un plan d'aménagement de cette exploitation est proposé dans ce travail. Celui-ci concerne la gestion de la pêche, la restauration et la pérennisation des stocks naturels, et la valorisation des produits. L'holothuriculture est considérée comme la solution d'avenir pour pallier une demande sans cesse croissante en trépang, restaurer les stocks naturels et sauver les espèces d'holothuries menacées d'extinction. Dans ce travail, il s'agissait d'étudier les aspects biologiques de l'espèce liés à la réalisation de l'élevage de ses larves et juvéniles. Des études concernant le cycle de reproduction de la population locale (baie de Toliara 23° 27' S; 43°41' E côte Sud-ouest de Madagascar), l'induction de la maturation ovocytaire, le développement larvaire et post-larvaire, le développement squelettique chez les larves et les juvéniles, et la croissance des larves et des juvéniles ont été menées. Le but était d'optimaliser la production de juvéniles de H. scabra en écloserie en s'appuyant sur les connaissances préexistantes et acquises. Le cycle de reproduction de H. scabra a été étudié de novembre 1998 à avril 2001 par le suivi de la variation mensuelle de l'indice gonadique, de l'indice de maturité sexuelle et du pourcentage de chaque stade de maturité sexuelle. La population étudiée présente un cycle de reproduction annuel. Toutefois, des gonades mûres sont présentes dans la population presque toute l'année. Les individus mûrs et prêts à pondre sont toutefois plus nombreux entre novembre et avril. Le cycle annuel comporte cinq périodes mais la population étudiée n'a jamais présenté un cycle bien défini et stable. Les échantillons mensuels de gonades sont relativement hétérogènes. La gonade de Holothuria scabra est formée d'une touffe de plusieurs tubules ramifiés. Le développement des gonades ne suit pas le modèle de recrutement progressif des tubules. Si les tubules constitutif d'une gonade n'ont pas les mêmes longueurs, ils sont par contre au même stade de maturité sexuelle. La troisième partie du travail porte sur le développement et l'élevage de H. scabra en structures aquacoles et plus particulièrement sur la production des juvéniles. Ceci débute par l'obtention des œufs fécondés. Pour ce faire, une procédure artificielle recourant à l'induction de la maturation ovocytaire a été utilisée. L'utilisation d'une substance nouvelle (la Nirina) s'est avérée très efficace pour induire la maturation ovocytaire de l'espèce H. scabra. Plus de 90% des ovocytes deviennent matures et sont fécondables après avoir été mis en sa présence. Contrairement aux effets de diverses molécules connues pour induire la maturation chez certaines espèces (dithiothreitol, L-cysteine), les œufs fécondés obtenus par cette méthode sont viables et ont de développement normal. Le développement larvaire se fait en moyenne en deux semaines mais il est influencé par les facteurs température et densité d'élevage. Les élevages conduits à basse température et faible densité ont de meilleure performance de croissance et un meilleur taux de survie. Par contre, le développement est plus lent à basse température. La durée de la phase épibionte des juvéniles est évaluée à environ six semaines, période après laquelle les juvéniles atteignent une longueur moyenne de 20mm (0,5g). Leurs croissance et développement sont moins influencés par la température que ceux des larves. Leur croissance est influencée par la qualité de la nourriture. Les juvéniles épibiontes ont une croissance en longueur plus élevée (0,356 mm/j) et une croissance pondérale moins élevée (12,89mg/j) que les juvéniles fouisseurs (endobiontes). L'apparition et le développement des structures squelettiques ont été observé chez les larves et juvéniles de H. scabra. L'apparition des nouvelles spicules calcaires a pu être suivi chez les juvéniles épibiontes . Ce travail met en évidence de nouveaux aspects de la biologie et de l'élevage de H. scabra, espèce aux rôles économiques et écologiques importants dans les régions de l'Indo-Pacifique. La connaissance des aspects reproducteurs et du développementaux est essentielle pour une gestion durable des pêches et exploitation.

As técnicas de cultivo de folículos e oócitos in vitro, com o objetivo de se obter oócitos maduros para procedimentos de Reprodução Assistida (RA), têm sido aplicadas em diferentes contextos. O sucesso destes procedimentos está diretamente relacionado ao sistema de cultivo utilizado. A utilização de células da granulosa (CG) humanas cultivadas in vitro como um suporte para o co-cultivo destes oócitos imaturos e folículos tem sido descrita por alguns autores. A criopreservação destas células, considerando-se o contexto de sua obtenção em procedimentos de RA, permitiria a viabilização da aplicação destas células na prática clínica diária. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi padronizar o congelamento de células da granulosa (CG) humanas para aplicação em sistemas de co-cultivos de folículos e oócitos imaturos. Foram obtidas CG de 20 voluntárias em tratamento de reprodução assistida, células de 10 voluntárias foram cultivadas em meio ?-MEM suplementado para interrupção da luteinização e congeladas após 48 horas em container \"Cryostep\" (grupo 2C- 2 cultivos) (etapa 2) e células de 10 voluntárias foram congeladas em container \"Cryostep\" sem cultivo prévio (grupo CD- congelamento direto) (etapa 3). Após o descongelamento estas células foram (re)cultivadas por 144 horas, com troca de meio em 48, 96 e 144 horas para avaliações da produção de estradiol (E2) e progesterona (P4) (ng/mL). Verificamos redução na contagem celular e na viabilidade celular tanto no método de congelamento direto (CD) quanto no método com dois cultivos (2C) após o descongelamento (p<0,05), e isso se refletiu na produção de estradiol e progesterona que foi maior nas culturas de células frescas em relação às células criopreservadas (p<0,05). Porém, a relação de E2/célula foi mantida após o descongelamento, sugerindo que esta redução na produção se deve à redução no número de células, as que sobrevivem se mantém normofuncionantes (p=0,23).O CD foi mais eficiente pois permitiu uma maior recuperação celular e uma melhor viabilidade quando comparado ao grupo 2C. A relação estradiol/progesterona foi mantida em todos os tempos de cultivo, fresco, CD e 2C (p>0,05), indicando que a característica funcional destas células foi preservada após o descongelamento. Concluímos que a criopreservação de CG humanas obtidas durante a captação de oócitos compromete a contagem celular e a viabilidade geral da cultura, entretanto, a capacidade funcional e a característica destas células se mantêm preservadas (manutenção das relações E2/célula e E2/P4) / Follicle and oocyte in vitro culture techniques, aiming to obtain mature oocytes for Assisted Reproductive Treatments (ART), have been applied to different contexts. The success of these procedures depends on the culture system used. The use of human granulosa cells (GC) in co-culture systems for follicle and oocyte maturation have been described by some authors. The cryopreservation of these cells, considering the context in which they are obtained during ART, would enable the usage of these cells in such procedures in daily clinical practice. Thus, the objective of this study was to standardize the freezing protocol for human granulosa cells (GC) for future applications in co-culture systems for follicle and oocyte maturation. Twenty volunteers submitted to ART donated their granulosa cells after oocyte retrieval, 10 were cultivated previously in order to interrupt the luteinization process and then frozen \"Cryostep\" container (group 2C- two cultures) (step 2) and 10 were directly frozen with no previous culture in the \"Cryostep\" container (group DF- direct freeze) (step 3). After thawing these cells were (re)cultured for 144 hours, with medium exchange at 48, 96 and 144 hours to evaluate the estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) production (ng/mL). After thawing, there was a reduction in the cell number (p<0,05) and cell viability in both methods, the direct freezing (DF) and the two cultures (2C) (p<0,05); this had an impact in the production of estradiol and progesterone, which were higher in fresh cultures than in the frozen ones (p<0,05). However, the E2/cell ratio was maintained after thawing (p=0.23), suggesting that this impairment in steroid production was probably due to the reduction in the cell count. The cells that survive remain functionally normal. The DF was more efficient since it allowed greater cell recovery and better viability when compared to 2C. The estradiol/progesterone ratio was maintained in all culture times, in the fresh, DF or 2C groups (p>0.05), indicating that the functional characteristic of these cells was preserved post-thawing. We conclude that cryopreservation of human GC obtained during oocyte retrieval compromises the cell count and the overall viability of the culture; however, the functional capacity and the characteristic of these cells are preserved (maintenance of E2/cell and E2/P4 relations)