A microsurgical technique for orthotopic ovarian transplantation in the Chinese hamster

A microscopic surgical technique for the orthotopic transplantation of ovaries in the Chinese hamster is described. The procedure, which uses microcauterization of the mesovarian stump and closure of the ovarian bursa with microvascular suture, resulted in a 75 to 80 percent surgical success rate in a series of 12 nondiabetic and 12 diabetic hamsters. Applications include the production of prediabetic offspring, the study of intrauterine environmental effects on transplant-derived offspring, and the preservation of endangered genetic colony sublines.