Fig. 5: M-cell transplantation alleviated ovarian aging.

a Experimental design to test the effects of M-cell transplantation on ovarian aging by histology. b H&E-stained ovarian sections showed growing follicles (black arrows) in the control and treated ovaries after 4-month treatment. Scale bars, 100 μm. c Bar graphs illustrated the numbers of growing follicles in the ovarian sections after 4-, 16-, and 25-month treatment. n = 3 sections, two-tailed t-test. d Masson’s trichrome staining showed fibrosis in the ovarian sections after 4-month treatment. Blue areas denoted collagen fibers (fibrosis). Red areas denoted muscle fibers and cytoplasm. Scale bars, 100 μm. e Bar graphs illustrated the proportion of fibrosis after 4- (left panel), 16- (middle panel), and 25- (right panel) month treatment. n = 3 sections, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 (two-tailed t-test). f Immunofluorescence analysis showed the expression of Ki67 in GCs of the treated group and the control group after 4-month treatment. White broken lines showed boundaries of GCs in antral follicles. Scale bars, 50 μm. g Bar graph showed the quantification of Ki67-positive GCs after 4-month treatment. n = 3 sections, *P < 0.05, two-tailed t-test. h Immunofluorescence analysis showed the expression of γH2A.X in GCs of the treated group and the control group after 4-month treatment. White broken lines showed boundaries of GCs in antral follicles. Scale bars, 50 μm. i Bar graph showed the quantification of γH2A.X-positive GCs after 4-month treatment. n = 3 sections, *P < 0.05 (two-tailed t-test).