Regulation of ovarian activity is an integrated process encompassing both extraovarian signals and intrafollicular factors. Initiation of primordial follicle growth and the early stages of folliculogenesis can occur without gonadotropins, but FSH may affect the rate of preantral follicle growth. Antral follicle development from 1 to 4 mm in sheep and cattle is completely gonadotropin dependent....

Ovarian primordial follicles are critical for female reproduction and comprise a finite pool of gametes arrested in development. A systems biology approach was used to identify regulatory gene networks essential for primordial follicle development. Transcriptional responses to eight different growth factors known to influence primordial follicles were used to construct a bionetwork of regulator...

7,12-Dimethylbenz-[a]anthracene (DMBA) is an environmental carcinogen which has a potent ovotoxic affect on rat and mouse ovaries, causing complete follicular depletion resulting in premature ovarian failure. Although the overall effects of DMBA on ovarian folliculogenesis are well known, little is known about the exact molecular mechanisms behind its ovotoxicity. In this study, we characterize...

BACKGROUND The dual effects of insulin and androgen on the ovary act to promote early folliculogenesis. In the context of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the presence of hyperinsulinaemia, resulting from increased insulin resistance (IR), and hyperandrogenaemia lead to the appearance of multiple antral follicles and frequently a multi-follicular response to gonadotrophin stimulation for ass...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical impact of benign ovarian mass on ovarian reserve as measured by serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, antral follicle count (AFC) and ovarian volumes. In addition, the differences in ovarian reserve impairment between endometrioma cystectomy and non-endometrioma cystectomy we...

Ovarian follicular damages were caused by cryoinjury during the process of ovarian vitrification and ischemia/reperfusion during the process of ovarian transplantation. And appropriate FSH plays an important role in antiapoptosis during ovarian follicle development. Therefore, in this study, 0.3 IU/mL FSH was administered into medium during mouse ovarian cryopreservation by vitrification to asc...

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and angiogenesis. It has long been known that bFGF acts as a powerful mitogen for various mammalian granulosa cells in culture. To investigate the possible involvement of bFGF expression in follicle initiation and growth in vivo, we performed nested RT-PCR on ovarian cortical biopsies and quantitative PCR ...

The extracellular matrix (ECM) promotes and/or inhibits many cellular processes, including but not limited to proliferation, differentiation, and survival, which must occur for follicle growth and oocyte maturation. The ECM regulation of cellular processes in ovarian cells is being investigated in many animal models, including avian, rat, bovine, porcine, rabbit, sheep, human, and mouse. Granul...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this retrospective case control study was to identify predictors of ovarian response and pregnancy outcomes in intrauterine insemination (IUI). MATERIAL AND METHODS One hundred women undergoing IUI cycles with clomiphene citrate were enrolled. The number of antral follicles and the total ovarian volume by ultrasound, and the basal levels of follicle-stimulating hormone...

STUDY QUESTION Is ovarian tissue cryopreservation using vitrification followed by in vitro activation (IVA) of dormant follicles a potential approach for infertility treatment of patients with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)? SUMMARY ANSWER Our vitrification approach followed by IVA treatment is a potential infertility therapy for POI patients whose ovaries contain residual follicles. W...