AIM To assess the role of mRNA accumulation in granulosa cells as the cause of low ovarian response among FMR1 premutation carriers undergoing pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). DESIGN Case control study in an academic IVF unit. Twenty-one consecutive FMR1 premutation carriers and 15 control women were included. After oocyte retrieval the granulosa cells mRNA levels of FMR1 was measure...

Introduction:Artifical sourace of radiation have increased worldwide average annual exposure of mankind and could especially affect rapidly dividing cells in gonads. Since, radiation sensitivities of different components of primordial follicles, and the time required for their deplation have not been morphologically eatablished we decided to estimate the time required for depletion of primordi...

Targeted disruption of the mouse estrogen receptor-alpha gene (estrogen receptor-alpha knockout; ERKO) results in a highly novel ovarian phenotype in the adult. The ERKO mouse model was used to characterize ER alpha-dependent processes in the ovary. Visualization of the ovaries of 10-, 20-, and 50-day-old wild-type (WT) and ERKO mice showed that the ERKO phenotype developed between 20 and 50 da...

A finely tuned balance between estrogens and androgens controls reproductive functions, and the last step of steroidogenesis plays a key role in maintaining that balance. Environmental toxicants are a serious health concern, and numerous studies have been devoted to studying the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The effects of EDCs on steroidogenic enzymes may influence steroid ...

Vitellogenic stage carp ovaries were collected aseptically and the cells of ovarian follicles were dispersed by trypsin treatment and cultivated as monolayer. Control cultures were grown in medium M199 alone. Media for experimental cultures were supplemented either with 100 µl ml-1 of CPH and CPS-carp GnRH (cultivated pituitary cell secretion affected by 10-6, 10-8, 10-10 M carp GnRH). The dire...

Secreted Slit proteins and their Roundabout (Robo) receptors act as a repulsive cue to prevent axons from migrating to inappropriate locations during the development of the nervous system. Slit/Robo has also been implicated in reproductive system development, but the molecular mechanism of the Slit/Robo pathway in the reproductive system remains poorly understood. Using a transgenic mouse model...

BACKGROUND The c-kit/kit ligand (KITL) signalling axis is an essential component of ovarian folliculogenesis in mammals, but little is known about expression and localisation of its key components in the ovaries of reproductive age women. This study aimed to characterise mRNA expression of c-kit and KITL isoforms and the localisation of c-kit and KITL proteins in adult human premenopausal ovari...

Growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF9) is an oocyte secreted paracrine factor essential for mammalian ovarian folliculogenesis. Like other members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) superfamily, GDF9 is synthesized as a prepropeptide which needs processing by furin-like proteases to result in an active mature protein. We have previously characterized a preparation of unpurified re...

background: recently, there are increasing concerns and interests about the potential effects of electromagnetic field (emf) on both human and animal health. objective: the goal of this study was to evaluate the harmful effects of 50 hz non-ionizing emf on rat oocytes. materials and methods: in this experimental study 30 rats were randomly taken from laboratory animals and their ags and weights...

It is hypothesized that the intraovarian interleukin (IL)-1 system plays a prominent role in the regulation of follicular development and ovulation. A central component of the intraovarian IL-1 system is the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), a protein acting as a pure IL-1 receptor antagonist and one for which intracellular (icIL-1RA) and secretory (sIL-1RA) varieties have been described. It w...