BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the commonest cause of anovulatory infertility and menstrual cycle abnormalities, but the factors responsible for failure to select a dominant follicle remain unclear. METHOD Source is authors' own studies and search of the relevant literature. RESULTS Arrest of antral follicle growth is associated with an abnormal endocrine environment involvi...

BACKGROUND An alginate-based matrix supports the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of non-human primate follicles and, in the presence of FSH, permits the in vitro development of pre-antral follicles to the small antral stage, including the production of ovarian steroids and paracrine factors. The current study investigated the ability of gonadotrophins, fetuin and oxygen (O₂) to improve prim...

The Vaccinia-related kinase 1(VRK1), which is generally implicated in modulating cell cycle, plays important roles in mammalian gametogenesis. Female infertility in VRK1-deficient mice was reported to be caused by defective meiotic progression in oocyte at postovulatory stage. VRK1 roles in folliculogenesis, however, remain largely unknown. Here, accurate quantification of folliculogenesis is p...

background: nicotine exposure causes impaired fertility and ovarian dysfunction. the aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of melatonin, which is known as an antioxidant agent on altered ovarian functions upon nicotine exposure. methods: a total of 32 female adult nmri mice were divided randomly into four groups (n=8). the control group received vehicle, while group ...

The processes that precisely control the selection of ovulatory follicles from a growing cohort are poorly understood. This reduction in follicle number occurs through several phases of selection, consequently we limit the use of the term 'selection' to the first major reduction of growing follicles, at the pre- to early antral stage. The final process of selection, achieving the appropriate ov...

Studies in cattle assessing changes in number and size of antral follicles, concentrations of estradiol, androgens and progesterone in serum and follicular fluid, and numbers of gonadotropin receptors per follicle during repetitive estrous cycles and postpartum anestrus are reviewed. The rate of growth of small follicles (1 to 3 mm) into larger follicles increases as the estrous cycle progresse...

Methoxychlor (MXC) is an organochlorine pesticide and reproductive toxicant. While in vivo studies indicate that MXC exposure increases antral follicle atresia, in part by altering apoptotic regulators (Bcl-2 and Bax), they do not distinguish whether MXC does so via direct or indirect mechanisms. Therefore, we utilized an in vitro follicle culture system to test the hypothesis that MXC is direc...

Background: The fibroblast growth factors (FGF-4) are a group of heparin-binding single chain polypeptides that play a pivotal role in development, cell growth, tissue repairing and transformation. The aim of this study is to improve development and maturation outcome of vitrified mouse pre-antral follicle by adding of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) into medium culture. Materials and Methods: P...

cells of primordial, primary, secondary and antral follicles. Connexin 26 expression in antral follicles was decreased by R diet. The expression of Cx43 in granulosa cells of primary and granulosa and theca layers of antral follicles was increased by HSe in M diet. Thus, maternal diet affected Cx26 and Cx43 expression, and connexins may be differentially involved in regulation of fetal ovarian ...

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...