Reaction-diffusion models have been used as a paradigm for describing the de novo emergence of biological patterns such as stripes and spots. In many organisms, these initial patterns are typically refined and elaborated over the subsequent course of development. Here we study the formation of secondary hair follicle patterns in the skin of developing mouse embryos. We used the expression of se...

background: leukemia inhibitory factor (lif) is a pleiotropic cytokine of interleukin-6 family with a remarkable range of biological actions such as proliferative effects on the granulosa and theca cells. the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of lif on the growth and maturation of mouse fresh and vitrified preantral follicles, an in vitro model was developed. methods: the ovaries of...

Follicle and oocyte growth is under the control of systemic gonadotropins and various local intraovarian factors. The present study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of peptide(s) isolated from ovine follicular fluid on preantral and antral follicles, oocytes, cumulus and granulosa cells, and oviductal epithelial cell growth in vitro in a heterologous species (Bubalus bubalis). Follicular ...

The growth and development of follicles within the ovary are highly dependent on autocrine and paracrine signaling involving growth factors from granulosa cells, theca cells, stromal interstitial cells, and the oocytes. The growth factor bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) and its receptor (BMPR-IB) have been detected in ovaries, and a mutation in BMPR-IB has been associated with abnormal ovul...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a cytokine that induces angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is a prominent histologic component of the luteinization process. Luteinization is also characterized by granulosa cell progesterone secretion in response to the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Local VEGF production in human pre-ovulatory follicles, induced by LH, was postulated to be a luteinization...

Objectives of this study were to determine if concentrations of steroids, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II in follicular fluid, and numbers of LH and IGF-I receptors change during growth of the dominant follicle. Ovarian follicular development was monitored daily via ultrasound in lactating Holstein cows. Animals were bilaterally ovariectomized when the dominant follicle (DF) was...

The objective of the present work was to study the effect of a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (fadrozole) on proliferation, estradiol production, aromatase expression and telomerase activity (TA) in pig granulosa cells (GC) from small (1–2 mm) and large (5–7 mm) follicles. The cells were treated with fadrozole for 48 h and 72 h in basal and FSH-stimulated conditions. Fadrozole caused a decrea...

Growth and development of ovarian follicles require a series of coordinated events that induce morphological and functional changes within the follicle, leading to cell differentiation and oocyte development. The preantral early antral follicle transition is the stage of follicular development during which gonadotropin dependence is obtained and the progression into growing or atresia of the fo...

Neurotrophins exert many biological effects not directly targeted at neurons, including modulation of keratinocyte proliferation and apoptosis in vitro. Here we exploit the cyclic growth and regression activity of the murine hair follicle to explore potential nonneuronal functions of neurotrophins in the skin, and analyze the follicular expression and hair growth-modulatory function of BDNF, NT...

Serial injections (i.m.) of 10 mg follicle stimulating hormone (FSFI-P) to cheetahs for 5 days followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, 500 IU) administered on both Days 6 and 7 resulted in ovarian follicle development and/or ovulation in six of seven attempts. One additional female given the same gonadotropin regimen when distinct corpora lutea (CL) were visible on the ovaries failed to ...