HISTOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN HUMAN OVARIES FROM EMBRYONIC TO MENOPAUSAL AGE Usha Rani Vanagondi 1 , Subhadra Devi Velichety * 2 . 1  Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, RIMS, Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India. * 2  Professor of Anatomy, SVIMS – Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. Address   for   Correspondence:      Prof.   Dr.   Subhadra   Devi   Velichety,   Professor   of   Anatomy,   SVIMS   –   Sri   Padmavathi   Medical   College   for   Women,   Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. E-Mail:  sdvelichety@hotmail.com ABSTRACT: Introduction:   Age   related   changes   in   the   ovaries   such   as   formation,   differentiation   and   growth   of   follicles   and   stroma   are   indicators   of   reproductive competence. Age related changes in the histological structure of ovary from embryonic to menopausal age was not reported in the literature. Aim:    To   observe   the   age   related   changes   in   the   histological   structure   of      human   ovaries   in   local   population   from      prenatal   to   postmenopausal   age   in   the Andhra Pradesh region of india. Materials   and   Methods:    A   total   of   79   formaline   preserved   ovaries   collected   from   aborted   embryos,   dead   fetuses,   adult   cadavers   and   during   surgical oophorectomy   were   processed   for   routine   tissue   processing,   section   cutting   (5microns)      and   Haematoxylin   and   eosin   staining.   The   histological   sections   of ovaries   at   various   ages   were   observed   for   the   appearance   of   germinal   epithelium,   tunica   albuginea,   types   of   follicles   and   their   stage   of   development   / atresia in the cortex, appearance of medulla and cortico-medullary differentiation etc. Representative fields were photographed. Results:    4   weeks   delay   of   decline   in   the   number   of   oogonia,   12   weeks   delay   in   cortico-medullary   demarcation,   8   weeks   delay   in   the   initiation   of   follicular degeneration   were   observed.   Longer   delay   in   follicularization   ie.   formation   of   Graafian   follicle   at   5   yrs   and   flat   germinal   epithelium   and   whirling   pattern   at 40 years were observed.  Conclusion:    When   compared   to   literature   there   is   delay   in   the   formation,   maturation   and   degeneration   of   follicles   and   cortico-medullary   demarcation   in the   present   study.   This   study   forms   the   database   for   the   age   related   histological   appearance   of   human   ovaries   in   the   wide   age   range   of   embryonic   to menopausal age in the local population. KEY WORDS: Ovaries, Embryonic Stage, Menopausal Age, Follicles, Haematoxylin. References 1 . McGee EA, Hsueh AJ. Initial and cyclic recruitment of ovarian follicles. Endocr. Rev.2000;21:200-214. 2 . Guigon   CJ,   Magre   S.   Contribution   of   germ   cells   to   the   differentiation   and   maturation   of   the   ovary:   insights   from   models   of   germ   cell   depletion.   Biology of Reproduction,2006;74:450-458. 3 . Gondos B, Bhiraleus P, Hobe CJ. Ultrastructural observations on germ cells in human fetal ovaries. Am J of Obstet Gynec.1971;110; 644-652. 4 . Konishi   I,   Fujii   S,   Okamura   H,   Parmley   T,   Mori   T.   Development   of   interstitial   cells   and   ovigerous   cords   in   the   human   fetal   ovary:   an   ultrastructural   study. J. Anat.,1986; 148:121-135. 5 . Forabosco A, Sforza C, De Pol A, Vizzotto L, Ferrariao VF. Morphometric study of the human neonatal ovary. Anatomical Record 1991;231(2):201-8. 6 . Sathananthan AH, Selvaraj K, Trounson A. Fine structure of human oogonia in the foetal ovary. Mol  Cell  Endocrinol,2000;161(1-2):3-8. (PubMed) 7 . Osman   Sulak      Mehmet   Ali   Mala      Kadriye   Esen      Esra   Cetin      Suleyman   Murat   Tagil.   Size   and   location   of   the   fetal   human   ovary.   Fetal   Diagnosis   and therapy 2016, 21; 26-33. 8 .  Pramila Padmini M and B. Narasinga Rao..Prenatal histogenesis of human ovary. National journal of basic medical sciences 2011;2(2):92-95. 9 . Valdes-Dapena MA. The normal ovary of childhood. Ann NY Acad sci 1967;142:597-613. 1 0 . Baker T. A quantitative and cytological study of germ cells in human ovaries. Proc R Soc Lond B,1963;158:417-433. 1 1 . Richardson   SJ,   Senikas   V,      Nelson   JF.   Follicular   depletion   during   the   menopausal   transition:   evidence   for   accelerated   loss   and   ultimate   exhaustion.   J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1987;65:1231-1237. 1 2 . Faddy      MJ,      Gosden      RG,      Gougeon   A,      Richardson   SJ,      Nelson   JF.   Accelerated   disappearance   of   ovarian   follicles   in   midlife:implications   for   forecasting menopause.Human Reprod.,1992;7:1342-1346. 1 3 . Gougeon   A,   Ecochord   R,      Thalabard   J.   Age   related   changes   of   the   population   of   human   ovarian   follicles:   increase   in   the   disappearance   rate   of   non- growing and early-growing follicles in aging women. Biol Reprod 1994;50:653-663. 1 4 . Drury RAB, Willington EA. In: Carleton’s Histological Techniques.1980, 5th ed., Oxford Univ Press. 1 5 . Ottolenghi   C,   Uda   M,      Hamatani   T,      Crisponi   L,      Garcia   JE,      Ko   M,      Pilia   G,      Sforza   C,      Schlessinger   D,      Forabosco   A.   Aging   oocyte,   ovary   and   Human reproduction. Ann. Ny. Acad. Sci.2004;1034:117-131.   1 6 . Jirasec      JE.   An   atlas   of   Human   prenatal   developmental   mechanics:   Anatomy   and   staging.,2004,   Chapter   6,   pp.   41   –   44.Taylor   and   Francis,   London   & Newyork. 1 7 . Arey LB. Developmental Anatomy. A Text-book and laboratory Manual of Embryology, 1966,7th ed., p. 321 – 323. W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia. 1 8 . Young   B   Heath   JW.   Female   Reproductive   system-   In   Wheater’s   Functional   Histology.   A   Text   and   Colour   atlas,2000,   4th   ed.,   pp.342-349.   Churchill   and Livingstone. 1 9 . Gondos   B.   Comparative   studies   of   normal   and   neoplastic   ovarian   germ   cells:   1.   Ultrastructure   of   oogonia   and   intercellular   bridges   in   the   fetal   ovary.Int J Gynecol Pathol.1987;6(2):114-23. 2 0 . Valdes-Dapena MA. Genitalia - An atlas of fetal and neonatal histology, 1957,pp.120-127. J B Lippincott Company, Piladelphia. 2 1 . Nicosia SV. Morphological changes of the human ovary through out life. In: The Ovary. G.B.Serra, ed. Raven Press, New York,1983,  pp57-81. 2 2 . Moore K.L, Persaud TVN. The Developing Human- clinically oriented Embryology, 7th ed.,2003 and p.211- 215. Saunders, Philadelphia. 2 3 . Shaw’s Textbook of gynecology. Histology of Ovary of the newborn; Normal Histology,13th edition, 2004, Pp. 25 – 30. 24. Sforza C Ferrario VF Depol A Marzona L Forni M  Forabosco A. Morphometric study of the human ovary during compartmentalization. Anat Rec.1993;236:626-634.