The physiological regulation of follicular atresia was investigated during the early luteal phase after ovulation and during altrenogest-synchronized preovulatory maturation in pigs (gilts). Apoptosis in dispersed granulosa cells was determined by flow cytometry. Apoptotic (A0) cells contain low, subdiploid amounts of DNA fluorescence. Follicles were classified biochemically as atretic or nonat...

Previous studies have implicated transcription factors GATA-4 and GATA-6 in the regulation of murine ovarian development and function. In rodents, GATA-4 is expressed in granulosa cells of primary and early antral follicles, whereas GATA-6 is expressed in granulosa cells of late antral follicles and luteal glands. Both transcription factors can be detected in lesser amounts in theca cells and i...

Organogenesis of the ovary is a highly orchestrated process involving multiple lineage determination of ovarian surface epithelium, granulosa cells and theca cells. Although the sources of ovarian surface epithelium and granulosa cells are known, the origin(s) of theca progenitor cells have not been definitively identified. Here we show that theca cells derive from two sources: Wt1(+) cells ind...

The aim of the current study was to present the spatial distribution of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in short-term cultures of pig granulosa cells obtained from small, medium, and large ovarian follicles. The specific immunoreactivity was detected by three monoclonal antibodies recognizing different epitopes of the ANP molecule (Mab 6C3, Mab 6F11, Mab5D3). The specific ANP immunoreactivity ...

The oocyte-secreted polypeptide growth factors, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15, also known as GDF9B) have both been shown to be essential for ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate. In addition, it is known from both in vivo and in vitro studies that these factors co-operate in some manner. To date, most studies examining the in vitro ...

It is well known that the pituitary gonadotropin surge induces progesterone receptor (PR) gene expression in luteinizing granulosa cells and that PR activation is critical for successful ovulation. To further understand the molecular mechanism(s) by which PR plays a role critical for granulosa cell functions, we wanted to identify progesterone-induced genes in granulosa cells. We employed a PCR...

During negative energy balance, the concentration of different fatty acids, especially of oleic acid (OA) increases in the follicular fluid of cattle. Previously, we showed that OA induced morphological, physiological and molecular changes in cultured bovine granulosa cells. In our present study we analyzed effects of OA on the expression of markers for granulosa and Sertoli cell identity, FOXL...

Transmission electronmicroscopic (TEM) observations demonstrated that the most superficial region of quail oocytes during the prelampbrush stage differs locally from the deeper ooplasm and is an active zone which forms exooplasmic cones, ridges or knob-like protrusions in the direction of/or in the granulosa cells. This exooplasm, in which no mitochondria were seen, is separated from the endoop...

Nineteen cycling ewes underwent transrectal ultrasonography of ovaries followed by ovariectomies during the growth phase of the first follicular wave of the interovulatory interval or the proestrus/estrus phase of the cycle. Quantitative ultrasonographic characteristics of the antrum and follicular wall in a total of forty-three ovine antral follicles were examined for correlations with the pro...

Ovarian granulosa cell tumor (GCT) is a malignant tumor with slow progression. The recurrence of granulosa cell tumor often happens after 5 years, leading to a 'forgotten tumor' by the patient. We present the case of a 64-year-old woman with a presentation of left flank pain. An initial computed tomography scan revealed a single tumor with multiple adjacent organ invasions. Surgical interventio...