Research Information System
Journal of Uludağ University Medical Faculty, vol.51, no.3, pp.537-545, 2025 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Infertility affects 10–20% of couples, and male-related factors contribute to 30–50% of cases. Although testicular organoids (TOs) support in vitro spermatogenesis, one of the most significant limitations of these approaches is the undefined nature of serum and/or xenogenic growth factors used in the culture media. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has a regenerative effect on spermatogenesis after testicular damage and maintains the proliferation and function of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in vitro. In this study, prepubertal C57BL/6 testicular cells were cultured with activated PRP using ultra-low attachment and air–liquid interface culture systems. Spermatogenic progression was evaluated at weeks 1, 3, 4, and 6 through histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses. In TOs supported with 10% PRP (PRP group), the SSC pool was preserved for 6 weeks, and the number of ID4(+) SSCs was higher than that in TOs supported with 10% knockout serum replacement (KK group) and 5% knockout serum replacement + 5% fetal bovine serum (KF group) at weeks 3, 4, and 6. In the PRP group, the number of SCP3(+) spermatocytes remained constant from weeks 1 to 6 and was higher than that in the KK and KF groups at weeks 4 and 6. In all TOs, ACR(+) round spermatids were observed at week 3, and PRP group had more ACR(+) spermatids than KK group at week 4. The results suggest that activated PRP may serve as a promising culture supplement to support spermatogenesis, although its safety and clinical applicability require further investigation.