The developmental stages of female germ cells were analysed in a wild population of the protogynous teleost Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834). 321 wild dusky grouper females were collected in the South Mediterranean Sea during the spawning season and their ovaries analysed using histological and histochemical techniques. Oocyte morphology, nucleus-cytoplasm ratio (N/C) range, location and mov...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the influence of ovarian follicular dominance on the outcome of oocyte in-vitro maturation. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included 21 patients with polycystic ovaries or polycystic ovary syndrome (Rotterdam criteria, 2004) subjected to 24 invitro maturation (IVM) cycles between October 2015 and January 2017. Patients undergoing IVM received minimal gonadotropin...

Intra-ovarian regulation of follicular maturation is modulated by various factors. Among these, growth factors are important local actors. We examined the immunohistochemical localization of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in 18 human ovaries. The concentration of TGF-alpha and EGF in follicular fluid was m...

Background The best time of final oocyte maturation triggering in assisted reproduction technology protocols is unknown. This time always estimated by combined follicular size and blood progesterone level. Objective The aim of this study was evaluation of the effect of delaying oocyte maturation triggering by 24 hr on the number of mature oocytes (MII) and other in vitro fertilization cycle c...

BACKGROUND The traditional hCG 'trigger' for initiating final oocyte maturation exacerbates ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in patients with an excessive follicular response because of its sustained stimulatory effect on the corpora lutea. However, a GnRH agonist trigger can produce a short duration endogenous LH surge which is adequate to initiate oocyte maturation, but allows the cor...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandro genism and affects approximately 5-10% of women of reproductive age. In vitro maturation (IVM) of mammalian oocytes has become an efficient method to produce mature oocytes in order to use in assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intra cytoplasmic sperm injection ...

Studies were conducted to examine the effect of substitution of serum with cystic follicular fluid in the IVM media and also to test the efficacy of cystic follicular fluid (buCFF) at 50 and 100 per cent levels for in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes. Resutts indicated that buffalo cystic follicular fluid supplemented with PMSG possess the ability for induction of maturation of buffalo oocyt...

We have previously reported that androstenedione induces abnormalities of follicle development and oocyte maturation in the mouse ovary. In granulosa cells of the ovarian follicle, androstenedione is aromatized to 17β-estradiol (E2). To determine whether the androgen or estrogen acts directly on the follicle to induce the above-mentioned abnormalities, we compared the effects of a non-aromatiza...

Cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation are central processes in ovulation. Knowledge gained from rodent and other mammalian models has revealed some of the molecular pathways associated with these processes. However, the equivalent pathways in humans have not been thoroughly studied and remain unidentified. Compact cumulus cells (CCs) from germinal vesicle cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were ...