Objective: To examine the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist on primordial follicle reserve in the primate ovary.
Study design: A prospective basic research study in which 10 juvenile cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) had 1 ovary surgically removed. Six animals were then treated with the GnRH antagonist antide (1.0 mg/kg/day) for 14 days, and 4 animals were treated with vehicle. After treatment the contralateral ovary was removed and both ovaries were prepared for assessment of primordial, primary, and secondary follicle numbers.
Results: Antide treatment resulted in a modest (13%) but significant decrease in primordial follicle number in juvenile macaques (p = 0.048, n = 6). Three animals demonstrated a marked reduction in primordial follicles (19%, 25%, 36%) and 3 animals had no (< 5%) change in primordial follicles after antide treatment. Control animals demonstrated no change in primordial follicle number following vehicle treatment. Antide had no effect on primary, secondary, or early antral follicle numbers and did not affect circulating estradiol concentrations.
Conclusion: In contrast to mice, in which GnRH antagonist treatment markedly reduces primordial follicle reserve, the effect of antide in nonhuman primates was less dramatic and somewhat variable. These data suggest there may be a subset of animals susceptible to the adverse effects of GnRH antagonist on primordial follicle survival.