Objective

To examine gonadal protective properties of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) alone or in combination with stem cell factor (SCF) in female mice treated with high-dose alkylating chemotherapy.

Design

Experimental laboratory animal study.

Setting

Tertiary care academic hospital and research institute.

Animal(s)

Six- and 8-week-old C57Bl/6 female mice.

Intervention(s)

Adult female mice were treated with [1] cyclophosphamide and busulfan (CTx), [2] CTx + G-CSF/SCF, [3] CTx + G-CSF, or [4] normal saline and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; vehicle control).

Main outcome measure(s)

Follicle counts, microvessel density, cellular response to DNA damage, and litter production.

Result(s)

G-CSF ± SCF increased microvessel density and decreased follicle loss in CTx-treated female mice compared with CTx-only treated female mice. Mice administered CTx alone exhibited premature ovarian insufficiency, with only 28% of mice producing two litters. However, 100% of mice receiving CTx with G-CSF + SCF, and 80% of mice receiving CTx + G-CSF alone produced at least three litters and 20% of mice in each group produced five litters.

Conclusion(s)

Treatment of mice with G-CSF decreases chemotherapy-induced ovarian follicle loss and extends time to premature ovarian insufficiency in female mice. Further studies are needed to validate these preclinical results in humans and compare efficacy with the established GnRH analogue treatments.