Effect of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (bmp-2) on Sheep Granulosa Cell Steriodogenic Function

The bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) has been implicated in follicle growth and steroidogenic functions of the ovary. The BMP-2 belongs to the BMPs subfamily of TGF-β super family. The present study was carried out in sheep granulosa cell culture to study the effect of different doses of BMP-2 0ng/ml (control group), 30ng/ml, 50ng/ml and 100ng/ml on granulosa cell steriodogenic function. For functional studies, granulosa cells were obtained from ovarian follicles 1–3 mm in diameter. The cells were cultured for 6 days in serum-free medium containing androstenedione and LR3-IGF-I. The medium was replaced for every two days and the spent medium was used to assess the concentration of estradiol 17-β in cultured granulosa cells by radioimmunoassay. The BMP-2 at all the three different doses increased the estradioal 17-β production when compared to control group of treatment (P<0.05), It was observed that even the lower doses tested (30 ng/ml) caused a significant increase in estradiol 17-β production by the granulosa cells as compared to the control (P<0.001), but no significant difference was observed among the different doses tested. It is concluded that all three different doses of BMP-2 were capable to increase the estradioal 17-β production without effecting the proliferation of granulosa cells in sheep.