The cryopreservation of the ovarian preantral follicles could help the conservation of several domestic and wild animal species. The objective of this study was to verify the effect of different concentrations of ethylene glycol on the morphometry and number of granulosa cells of the preantral ovarian follicles. A toxicity test was conducted with strips of ovarian cortex using ethylene glycol (10, 20 or 40%). Tissue analysis was done using classical histology techniques. The primordial follicles expose at a concentration of 40% showed reduction of the follicular diameter and oocyte when compared to the control (non exposing), 10 and 20% groups (P<0.05) and reduction in the number of granulosa cells compared to the control group (P<0.05). Regarding the primary follicles no alteration could be observed (P>0.05). These results suggest that primary follicles are more resistant to the effect of ethylene glycol when compared to primordial ones.
Preantral follicles; histology; bovine; cryoprotectant
