Thyroid hormone (TH) is important for normal reproductive functions and dysregulation of TH support is associated with reproductive disorders. We have previously reported that 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T₃) increases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-induced preantral follicle growth in vitro. Interaction of hormones with apoptosis and proliferation of granulosa cells is poorly understood. The p...

Debate The functional life span of the ovaries is dictated in large part by the number of oocytes present, a number that is known to decline precipitously during both fetal development and postnatal life. Furthermore, studies from numerous laboratories have shown that exposure of the ovaries to a variety of pathological insults, such as anticancer therapies and environmental toxicants, accelera...

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 aim of the present study was to compare fresh and vitrified goat ovarian tissue after autotransplantation and in vitro culture. Adult goats were completely ovariectomised and each ovarian pair was sliced and distributed among six different treatment groups: fresh control, fresh transplant, fresh culture, vitrified control, vitrified transplant and vitrified culture. Follicular morphology, d...

Purpose The aim of the study was to evidence whether Thyrotropin (TSH) and Thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) have an impact in in vitro follicle growth of mouse preantral follicles, in in vitro fertilization and in early embryo development. Methods This prospective observational animal experimental study was conducted on a study population consisted of 100 female and 30 male mice (C57BL/6 x CBA) F1 ...

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and oocyte-secreted factors influence granulosa cell differentiation and follicle development. Whereas FSH stimulates the expression of mural cell transcripts, oocyte-secreted factors regulate specific cumulus cell genes and suppress the appearance of mural cell transcripts. This study addresses the extent to which clinically relevant changes in FSH doses appl...

This study was conducted to determine how the isolation method of the porcine preantral follicles influenced the following follicular growth in vitro. Mechanical and enzymatical isolations were used for retrieving the follicles from prepubertal porcine ovaries, and in vitro-growth of the follicles and the expression of folliculogenesis-related genes were subsequently monitored. The enzymatic re...