Nonsteroidal biochemical markers of oocyte maturity could presumably aid in oocyte selection and in the timing of insemination for in vitro fertilization. We assessed the usefulness of six potential markers found in follicular fluid. We used kinetic immunonephelometry to measure concentrations of alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, antithrombin III, ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, and plasmi...

It is well established that rat ovarian granulosa cells produce tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). The synthesis and secretion of the enzyme are induced by gonadotropins, and correlate well with the time of follicular rupture in vivo. We have found that in contrast, mouse granulosa cells produce a different form of plasminogen activator, the urokinase-type (uPA). As with tPA synthesis in the r...

Ovarian follicular fluid contains both stimulatory and inhibitory agents that influence the growth and maturation of oocyte. In the present study, an attempt was made to isolate and study the biological properties of ovarian follicular fluid peptide(s) in buffaloes. Bubaline ovarian follicular was made steroidand cell-free. A protein fraction was obtained by saturation (30-35% level) of the fol...

Intensified peroxidation in the Graafian follicle may be a factor compromising the normal development of the oocyte. The aim of this study was to measure concentrations of three oxidative stress markers: conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, in preovulatory follicular fluids and sera of 145 women attending an in-vitro fertilization programme, and t...

Spermatozoa normally encounter the egg at the fertilization site (in the Fallopian tube) within 24 hr after ovulation. A considerable fraction of the spermatozoa ejaculated into the female reproductive tract of mammals remains motionless in storage sites until ovulation, when the spermatozoa resume maximal motility and reach the fertilization site within minutes. The nature of the signal for sp...

BACKGROUND The possibility that a specific cytokine profile could be detected in the ovaries of patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) was investigated. METHOD Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or bioassays were used to assess the concentrations of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), tumour necrosis factor, interleukin 11, gamma interferon, progesterone and oestradiol in foll...

The ability of an oocyte to successfully mature is highly dependent on intrafollicular conditions, including the size and structure of the follicle. Here we present a mathematical model of oxygen transport in the antral follicle. We relate mean oxygen concentration in follicular fluid of bovine follicles to the concentration in the immediate vicinity of the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC). The mod...

Concentration of ascorbic acid was determined in different parts of buffalo ovary at four different stages of oestrous cycle viz. early luteal, mid luteal, late luteal and follicular. The stages were decided from the physical and morphological examinations of corpora lutea. The ovary was dissected in three components viz. corpus luteum, follicular fluid and ovarian stromal tissue for ascorbic a...

Inhibin is a heterodimeric glycoprotein that inhibits the secretion of follitropin from the pituitary and has been isolated in two distinct forms composed of a common alpha subunit and either a beta A or beta B subunit. Utilizing paired monoclonal antibodies specific to the alpha and beta A subunit, we have developed an immunochemiluminescent assay for dimeric inhibin-A. The assay is capable of...

A precise regulation of angiogenesis is a prerequisite for an adequate maturation of ovarian follicles. Despite the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by granulosa cells in antral follicles, angiogenesis is restricted to the theca cell layer. The maturing follicle remains avascular before ovulation, implying regulatory mechanisms which prevent premature follicular vasculari...