BMPs expressed in the ovary differentially regulate steroidogenesis by granulosa cells. BMP-9, a circulating BMP, is associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation in various tissues. However, the effects of BMP-9 on ovarian function have yet to be elucidated. Here we investigated BMP-9 actions on steroidogenesis using rat primary granulosa cells. BMP-9 potently suppressed FS...

Freshly aspirated human granulosa cells from pre-ovulatory follicles and granulosa cells luteinized in culture possess the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) of approximate molecular mass of 140,000 and NCAM mRNA as confirmed by S1-nuclease protection assays and RT-PCR. Moreover, in the process of luteinization the NCAM isoform pattern is modified. Isoforms containing an insert of 10 amino ac...

Because IGFBP inhibit IGF-stimulated cellular proliferation and differentiation, it is hypothesized that variations among IGFBP in individual follicles might contribute to the regulation of recruitment, selection, dominance, and turnover of ovarian follicles. Sources of IGFBP in fluid of bovine follicles are not well established; thus, objectives of this study were to determine levels of IGFBP ...

It is now well established that within the hen ovary, preovulatory follicles rarely become atretic and that granulosa cells from preovulatory follicles are relatively resistant to undergoing apoptosis in vitro. By comparison, prehierarchal (< or = 8-mm diameter) follicles are highly susceptible to becoming atretic in vivo, and approximately 70% of granulosa cells collected from 3- to 8-mm-diame...

Lanthanum tracer and freeze-fracture electron microscope techniques were used to study junctional complexes between granulosa cells during the differentiation of the rabbit ovarian follicle. For convenience we refer to cells encompassing the oocyte, before antrum and gap junction formation, as follicle cells. After the appearance of an antrum and gap junctions we call the cells granulosa cells....

Follicular selection predominantly depends on granulosa cell apoptosis in porcine ovaries, but the molecular mechanisms regulating the induction of apoptosis in granulosa cells during follicular selection remain incompletely understood. To determine the role of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), which suppresses caspase-3, -7 and -9 activities and acts as an endogenous inhibitor of...

Organogenesis of the ovary is a highly orchestrated process involving multiple lineage determination of ovarian surface epithelium, granulosa cells and theca cells. Although the sources of ovarian surface epithelium and granulosa cells are known, the origin(s) of theca progenitor cells have not been definitively identified. Here we show that theca cells derive from two sources: Wt1(+) cells ind...

OBJECTIVES Pesticides has wide range of infertility in female reproductive. This study was done to evaluate the effect of movento pesticide on development of granulosa cells and ovarian follicles and FoxO1 and Vnn1 gene expression in BALB/c mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study 40 healthy BALB/c mice 5-6 weeks age were used. Animals were randomly allocated into four groups. Control (witho...

Mitochondrial numbers increase during oocyte growth. In this study, we collected oocytes and granulosa cell complexes (OGCs) from early antral follicles (EAFs) of aged cows (> 120 months of age) and examined the effects of resveratrol on mitochondrial generation, degradation, and quality in oocytes grown in vitro. We also examined the effects of resveratrol on gene expression of the granulosa c...

Premature ovarian failure (POF), an ovarian disorder of multifactorial origin, is defined as the occurrence of amenorrhea, hypergonadotropism and hypoestrogenism in females <40 years old. Apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells is important in POF and understanding the regulatory mechanism underlying ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis may be beneficial for the management of POF. Increasing evidence ...