The final number of Sertoli cells reached during the proliferative periods determines sperm production capacity in adulthood. It is well known that FSH is the major Sertoli cell mitogen; however, little is known about the signal transduction pathways that regulate the proliferation of Sertoli cells. The hypothesis of this investigation was that FSH regulates proliferation through a PI3K/Akt/mTO...

The FSH molecular mechanism of action is best recognized for its stimulation of the adenylyl cyclase/cAMP pathway via activation of a G protein. Recently, links between cAMP, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (PKB) signaling pathways in thyroid and granulosa cells have been observed. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of the PI3K/PKB pathway in FS...

PURPOSE To compare the embryo outcomes of in vitro fertilization/intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG). METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study in 465 patients. Stimulation was started by daily FSH injection, and either FSH was continued (...

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is the pituitary hormone responsible for testicular tubal development and ovarian follicular recruitment and maturation. Both recombinant and purified urinary FSH are currently used for ovulation induction in women undergoing assisted reproduction. In this report, we describe Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cell expression of a novel long-acting human FSH singl...

The effects of PMSG on the mitotic activity of granulosa cells and atresia of large folicles in 24-day-old rats were examined. The results showed that the labelling index (1) decreased in atretic follicles parallel with a loss of FSH binding, and (2) increased in hypophysectomized rats treated with FSH. It is concluded that FSH stimulates granulosa cell divisions and that atresia may be caused ...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated that pre-pubertal aryl hydrocarbon receptor knockout (AHRKO) mice have slow antral follicle growth and reduced capacity to produce estradiol compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Although previous studies have suggested that this is likely due to a reduced ability of the AHRKO follicles to respond to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), this possibility w...

In the spontaneous menstrual cycle, the mid-cycle gonadotrophin surge causes maturation of the cumulus-oocyte complex, mucification of cumulus cells and expansion of the cumulus oophorus, resumption of meiosis and maturation of the cytoplasm of the oocyte. Whether this is an effect purely of luteinizing hormone (LH) or whether follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) also plays a role is unknown. The...

The present study was designed to explore the role of gap junctions in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF beta1)-stimulated steroidogenesis in ovarian granulosa cells of gonadotropin-primed immature rats. There were three specific aims. First, we investigated the effect of FSH and TGF beta1 as well as lindane (a general gap junction blocker) on the leve...