Paracrine signalling between the oocyte and its surrounding somatic cells is fundamental to the processes of oogenesis and folliculogenesis in mammals. The study of animal models has revealed that the interaction of granulosa cell-derived kit ligand (KL) with oocyte and theca cell-derived c-Kit is important for multiple aspects of oocyte and follicle development, including the establishment of ...

While several studies have documented the presence of plasminogen activator (PA) activity in hen ovarian follicle granulosa and theca tissues, to date it has not been possible to conclusively distinguish between the urokinase (u) and the tissue-type (t) form of the enzyme; this inability is due, in part, to lack of the cloned or characterized chicken tPA gene or gene product. Thus, the present ...

STUDY QUESTION Does the expression of LHCG receptor (LHCGR) protein and key enzymes in the androgen biosynthetic pathway differ in normal human versus polycystic ovarian tissue? SUMMARY ANSWER LHCGR and 17α-hydroxylase/17-20-lyase (CYP17A1) protein levels are increased in polycystic ovaries (PCOs). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The predominant source of excess androgen secretion in women with polyc...

BACKGROUND Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been identified as the key ovulatory PG in the primate follicle. Follicular PGE2 levels increase just before the expected time of ovulation, suggesting that the midcycle LH surge induces the expression of enzymes involved in PGE2 synthesis. METHODS To identify the specific form(s) of prostaglandin E synthase (PGES) expressed by the primate periovulatory ...

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 Women with PCOS have elevated levels of the harmful Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), which are highly reactive molecules formed after glycation of lipids and proteins. Additionally, AGEs accumulate in the ovaries of women with PCOS potentially contributing to the well-documented abnormal steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis. MAIN BODY A systematic review of articles and abst...

The aim of this study was to examine the response of cell-mediated ovarian immunity against Salmonella infection in hens. Laying hens were injected intraperitoneally with PBS (control) or Salmonella enteritidis (SE). Ovarian stroma containing stromal follicles, small white follicles (SWF), and third largest (F3) and the largest (F1) follicles were collected 12 or 24 h after inoculation and fixe...

The steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is a vital mitochondrial protein that is indispensable for the synthesis of steroid hormones in the steroidogenic cells of the adrenal cortex and the gonads. Recent studies have shown that StAR enhances the conversion of the substrate for all steroid hormones, cholesterol, into pregnenolone, probably by facilitating cholesterol entry into the in...