BACKGROUND The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of bilateral uterine artery ligation (BUAL) on the ovarian follicular fate, and alterations in carbohydrate, lipid, lipase and serum levels of F9SH, LH, prolactin, estrogen and progesterone. METHODS Twenty-four mature female rabbits divided into two test and control-sham groups. The animals underwent ovariohystrectomy...

BACKGROUND Zucker fatty (fa/fa) rats are a well-understood model of obesity and hyperinsulinemia. It is now thought that obesity/hyperinsulinemia is an important cause of endocrinological abnormality, but to date there have been no reports on the changes in ovarian morphology or the ovarian androgen profile in rat models of obesity and insulin resistance. METHODS In this study we investigated...

Although androgen excess is considered detrimental to women's health and fertility, global and ovarian granulosa cell-specific androgen-receptor (AR) knockout mouse models have been used to show that androgen actions through ARs are actually necessary for normal ovarian function and female fertility. Here we describe two AR-mediated pathways in granulosa cells that regulate ovarian follicular d...

Other isotype-selective estrogen receptor (ER) agonists, the selective ERalpha agonist 3,17-dihydroxy-19-nor-17alpha-pregna-1,3,5 (10)-triene-21,16alpha-lactone and the selective ERbeta agonist 8-vinylestra-1,3,5 (10)-triene-3,17beta-diol, were used in hypophysectomized rats, gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist-treated mice, as well as intact rats to elucidate the effects of isotype-selec...

Dizygotic twinning is familial, suggesting that there may be an inherited abnormality of the control of ovulation that predisposes to double ovulation and, therefore, dizygotic twins. The present study examines 17 mothers of dizygotic twins (MODZT) and 8 control mothers of singletons by daily blood sampling throughout an entire menstrual cycle. Blood samples were assayed for LH, FSH, estradiol,...

Growth factors play an important role during early ovarian development and folliculogenesis, since they regulate the migration of germ cells to the gonadal ridge. They also act on follicle recruitment, proliferation/atresia of granulosa cells and theca, steroidogenesis, oocyte maturation, ovulation and luteinization. Among the growth factors, the growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and the b...

Whatever the stage of the cycle, follicles of various sizes are apparent on the surface of the ovary of sheep. No evidence of waves of follicular growth at fixed-time intervals has been found during the luteal phase, and growth probably occurs at random until the follicle attains a size of 4 to 7 mm. This shows that follicles can enlarge under a wide range of hormonal levels. The recruitment of...

BACKGROUND New data suggests that endothelial cells (ECs) elaborate essential "angiocrine factors". The aim of this study is to investigate the role of activated ovarian endothelial cells in early in-vitro follicular development. METHODS Mouse ovarian ECs were isolated using magnetic cell sorting or by FACS and cultured in serum free media. After a constitutive activation of the Akt pathway w...

Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is a widely used industrial chemical, which may be increasingly used in the future. However, its toxicity profile remains largely unknown. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of DMC exposure on the ovaries and the effect of autophagy activation on follicular development. Rats were randomly divided into a control group and low, medium and high dose ...