The preovulatory rise in gonadotropins causes an expansion of the cumulus-oocyte complex, a process requiring the induction of several genes. The objectives of this study were to clone the equine tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 6 (TNFAIP6), and investigate its regulation in equine follicles during human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-induced ovulation. The isolation of the equine TNFA...

Background: Evaluation of maturation genes expression and their pattern during in vitro culture of vitrified preantral follicles is an essential and could promote either vitrification procedure or culture condition. Materials and Methods: Preantral follicles (with 100- 130 μm diameter) isolated mechanically from 12-14 days old NMRI mice ovaries and divided into vitrification and control groups....

background: cryopreservation of pre-antral follicles is a hopeful technique to preserve female fertility. the aim of the present study was to evaluate reactive oxygen species (ros) and total antioxidant capacity (tac) levels of mouse vitrified pre-antral follicles in the presence of alpha lipoic acid (ala). methods: isolated pre-antral follicles (140–150 µm in diameter) were divided into vitrif...

the aim of the present study was to develop an in vitro system for functional investigation of ovarian follicular cells in sterlet, acipenser ruthenus. oocytes for the primary culture were obtained from the ovaries of a 6 years old sterlet 729 g in weight and 47 cm in total length. the oocytes were in advanced vitellogenesis stage (pi >10). a part of the ovary (containing about 300 follicles) w...

In mammalian ovary, steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein mediates the true rate-limiting step of transport of cholesterol from outer to inner mitochondrial membrane. Appropriate expression of StAR gene represents an indispensable component of steroidogenesis and its regulation has been found to be species specific. However, limited information is available regarding StAR gene expressio...

The physiological regulation of follicular atresia was investigated during the early luteal phase after ovulation and during altrenogest-synchronized preovulatory maturation in pigs (gilts). Apoptosis in dispersed granulosa cells was determined by flow cytometry. Apoptotic (A0) cells contain low, subdiploid amounts of DNA fluorescence. Follicles were classified biochemically as atretic or nonat...

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) is involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics that are or can form epoxide metabolites, including the ovotoxicant, 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH). This industrial chemical is bioactivated by hepatic CYP450 to the diepoxide metabolite, VCD, which destroys mouse small preantral follicles (F1). Since ovarian mEH may play a role in VCD detoxification, these studies i...

In vitro growth of follicles is a promising technology to generate large quantities of competent oocytes from immature follicles and could expand the potential of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Isolated follicle culture is currently the primary method used to develop and mature follicles in vitro. However, this procedure typically requires complicated, time-consuming procedures, as w...

IGFs regulate gonadotrophin-stimulated proliferation and differentiation of granulosa and theca cells in vitro. However, the detailed pattern of mRNA expression of IGFs in bovine follicles remains controversial. The objectives of this study were therefore to describe the temporal and spatial pattern of expression of mRNA encoding IGF-I, IGF-II and the type 1 IGF receptor in bovine follicles in ...

Introduction: Melatonin acts as an indirect antioxidant and is a powerful direct free radical scavenger and direct responses to melatonin in the gonads are detected. This study aims to investigate the influence of different doses of melatonin on preantral follicle development and oogenesis of in vitro cultured mouse ovarian follicles. Materials and Methods: Preantral follicles with diamet...