Apoptosis is the biological process by which follicular cells are eliminated in atretic follicles. The aim of the present study was to examine the in vitro effect of a GnRH-a (leuprolide acetate, LA) and its interactions with FSH, dibutyryl cAMP, and growth factors (IGF-I, EGF, and FGF) on follicular apoptosis in early antral ovarian follicles obtained from prepubertal DES- treated rats. Follic...

Primordial follicles from different mammal species can survive and enter the growth phase in vitro but do not develop beyond the primary stage. The hypothesis was that, in sheep, in vitro follicular growth is arrested because of a lack of secretion of GDF9 and/or BMP15. Cortical slices of 0.3–0.5 mm thickness issued from 5to 6-month-old lambs were cultured for 15 days. The pieces were fixed on ...

The aim of the study was to determine the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein (PCNA) in the pig ovary. The localization of PCNA was demonstrated in paraffin sections of pig ovarian tissue using primary mouse monoclonal anti-PCNA antibody. In primordial follicles, no remarkable staining for PCNA either in granulosa cells or in the oocytes was observed. In primary to secondar...

Methods to predict numbers of healthy oocytes in the ovaries of young adults could have important diagnostic relevance in family planning and animal agriculture. We have observed that peak antral follicle count (AFC) determined by serial ovarian ultrasonography during follicular waves is very highly reproducible within individual young adult cattle, despite 7-fold variation among animals. Herei...

Ovarian xenotransplantation is a promising alternative to preserve fertility of oncologic patients. However, several functional aspects of this procedure remained to be addressed. The aim of this study was evaluate the feasibility of xenotransplantation as a strategy to maintain bovine ovarian grafts and produce oocytes. Adult ovarian cortical pieces were xenotransplanted to the dorsal subcutan...

Gap junction communication plays an essential role in follicle growth. Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy were used to examine the expression of gap junction connexins of the alpha and beta subfamilies in follicles from primordial to preovulatory stages in the ovaries of prepubertal and adult mice. Connexin-specific antibodies detected alpha(1), alpha(4), alpha(6), beta(1), beta(2) and...

The cytologic localization and cellular levels of TGF alpha in the human ovary during follicular growth and regression were examined by avidin/biotin immunoperoxidase techniques with a monoclonal antibody to TGF alpha. In primordial follicles, only the oocyte showed intense immunostaining for TGF alpha, whereas the flattened pregranulosa cells were negative for the immunostaining. The earliest ...