Follicle and oocyte growth is under the control of systemic gonadotropins and various local intraovarian factors. The present study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of peptide(s) isolated from ovine follicular fluid on preantral and antral follicles, oocytes, cumulus and granulosa cells, and oviductal epithelial cell growth in vitro in a heterologous species (Bubalus bubalis). Follicular ...

Homozygous androgen receptor (AR)-knockout (ARKO) female mice are subfertile due to both intra- and extraovarian (neuroendocrine) defects as defined by ovary transplantation. Using ARKO mice, this study set out to reveal the precise AR-regulated pathways required for optimal androgen-regulated ovulation and fertility. ARKO females exhibit deficient neuroendocrine negative feedback, with a reduc...

To improve the reproductive performance of water buffalo to level can satisfy our needs, the mechanisms controlling ovarian follicular growth and development should be thoroughly investigated. Therefore, in this study, the expressions of growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) in buffalo ovaries were examined by immunohistochemistry, and the effects of GDF-9 treatment on follicle progression we...

BACKGROUND Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is secreted by granulosa cells of ovarian early developing follicles and its serum levels have been shown to correlate with small antral follicle number. Since the pronounced androgen secretion from follicles/stroma in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remains until late reproductive age, and since AMH reflects the number of antral follicles, it...

Paracrine cell signaling is believed to be important for ovarian follicle development, and a role for some members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family has been suggested. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that FGF-8 and its cognate receptors (FGFR3c and FGFR4) are expressed in bovine antral follicles. RT-PCR was used to analyze bovine Fgf8, Fgfr3c and Fgfr4 mRNA levels in ...

We investigated the effects of different windows of testosterone propionate (TP) treatment during foetal and neonatal life in female rats to determine whether and when excess androgen exposure would cause disruption of adult reproductive function. Animals were killed prepubertally at d25 and as adults at d90. Plasma samples were taken for hormone analysis and ovaries serial sectioned for morpho...

Background: In this study we aimed to investigate the distribution and expression level of pro anti-apoptotic proteins, Bax Bcl-2, in different developmental stages ovarian follicles any relations between these proteins follicle atresia. Materials Methods: For that purpose, bilateral 16 ovaries adult 8 mice were received tissues fixed 10% neutral buffered formalin. Routine tissue processing pro...

The fate of the follicular basal lamina during atresia was investigated using bovine follicles, in which different follicle phenotypes have been observed. These phenotypes include: healthy follicles with rounded basal granulosa cells with an aligned basal lamina or follicles with columnar basal granulosa cells with a basal lamina of many loops (loopy), and atretic follicles in which either the ...

STUDY QUESTION What are the direct effects of androgens on primate follicular development and function at specific stages of folliculogenesis? SUMMARY ANSWER Androgen addition altered primate follicle survival, growth, steroid and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) production, and oocyte quality in vitro, in a dose- and stage-dependent manner. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Androgens have local actions in...

BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and is characterized by chronic anovulation. Insulin resistance may be a key component of the pathogenesis of this disorder. Pioglitazone is a thiazolidinedione derivative that acts by improving insulin resistance via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) pathway. Reported...