Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) in the mammalian hair follicle have been shown to develop hair follicles through epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. A cell therapy to regenerate human hair is theoretically possible by expanding autologous human DPCs and transplanting them into bald skin, though much remains to be overcome before clinical success. In this study, we compared gene signatures of human...

BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence indicates that pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance inside ovarian follicles plays an important role in folliculogenesis. Over 20% of women of reproductive age in Europe and the USA regularly smoke cigarettes. The impact of tobacco smoking on the intrafollicular markers of oxidative stress has not been fully elucidated. The objective of the present study was to ...

Well-timed progression of primordial folliculogenesis is essential for mammalian female fertility. Progesterone (P4) inhibits primordial follicle formation under physiological conditions; however, P4 receptor that mediates this effect and its underlying mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we used an in vitro organ culture system to show that progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1...

Fertility depends on the precise coordination of multiple events within the ovarian follicle to ensure ovulation of a fertilizable egg. FSH promotes late follicular development, including expression of luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor by the granulosa cells. Expression of its receptor permits the subsequent LH surge to trigger the release of ligands that activate EGF receptors (EGFR) on the gr...

BACKGROUND Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) may have a role in disordered folliculogenesis in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Though there have been several investigations into circulating AMH levels in patients with PCOS, no previous studies have compared AMH concentrations in the follicular fluid of unstimulated ovaries in women with PCOS with that of normally ovulating women. METHODS Follicu...

The ovarian follicles develop initially from primordial follicles. The majority of ovarian primordial follicles are maintained quiescently as a reserve for the reproductive life span. Only a few of them are activated and develop to an advanced follicular stage. The maintenance of dormancy and activation of primordial follicles are controlled by coordinated actions of a suppressor/activator with...

After parturition, the ovary ipsilateral to the side of previous pregnancy exhibits lower functional activity than that exhibited by the contralateral ovary. The local inhibitory effects of the corpus luteum of the previous pregnancy, and/or the presence of a previous gravid uterine horn, may induce the ipsilateral suppression of folliculogenesis. We examined the influence of the side of previo...

BACKGROUND Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is an alternative strategy to preserve the fertility of women predicted to undergo premature ovarian failure. This study was designed to evaluate the expression of folliculogenesis-related genes, including factor in the germline alpha (FIGLA), growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and KIT LIGAND after vi...

During the individual development and exposure to infectious agents of organism, structural components thyroid gland can change significantly. In modern research, great importance is attached study mechanisms for maintaining morphological homeostasis ideas about its functional restructuring in response body's immune system various infections. The morpho-functional features newborn animals after...

The aim of the present article is to update our understanding of the expression of the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs), IGFBP proteases and their implication in the different processes of ovarian folliculogenesis in mammals. In the studied species, IGFs and several small-molecular weight IGFBPs (in particular IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4) are considered, respectively, as stimulators...