To characterize the action of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin ( TCDD) during both the follicular and luteal phases of the ovarian cycle, the direct effect of TCDD was investigated in vitro using a system of primary monolayer cell culture. Granulosa and theca cells were collected from the preovulatory follicles and cultured as a co-culture, thus resembling follicles in vivo. Luteal cells wer...

The ultrastructure of human corpora lutea obtained during the 6th, 10th, 16th, and 35th week of pregnancy is reported. Differences between the established luteal cell of pregnancy and the transitory luteal cell of the menstrual cycle are noted. In pregnancy the luteal cell is more compartmentalized into a peripheral mass of ER (endoplasmic reticulum) and a central area where mitochondria and Go...

STUDY QUESTION Do differences in endometrial gene expression exist after ovarian stimulation with four different regimens of triggering final oocyte maturation and luteal phase support in the same patient? SUMMARY ANSWER Significant differences in the expression of genes involved in receptivity and early implantation were seen between the four protocols. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY GnRH agonist t...

The current study investigates the activation in vivo and regulation of the expression of components of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway during gonadotropin-induced formation and development of the rat corpus luteum, employing a sequential PMSG/human CG (hCG) treatment paradigm. We postulated that the p38 MAPK pathway could serve to promote phosphorylation of key substrat...

The mechanistic events of female infertility have been investigated for over 50 years and despite progress many causes of infertility remain elusive. However, over half of idiopathic infertility issues have been attributed to a defective ovarian tissue responsible for the maintenance of a conceptus, the corpus luteum (CL). Many CL defects are attributed, in part, to abnormal vascularization (an...

BACKGROUND The fact that most women experience sleep changes across the menstrual cycle is thought to be associated with changes in circadian rhythms; however, few studies have investigated this relationship. METHODS We applied an ultrashort sleep-wake schedule to eight healthy women and studied diurnal fluctuations in sleep propensity, sleepiness, rectal temperature, and serum concentrations...

Cells expressing class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules are found within the corpus luteum (CL) of several species. Expression and localization of class II MHC molecules in the bovine CL were examined in the present study. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed class II MHC molecules on single cells in early CL (days 4 and 5 post-estrus). Two class II MHC-expressing cell typ...

High density cDNA microarray screening was used to determine changes in gene expression occurring during the transition between the early luteal (prereceptive) and mid-luteal (receptive) phases in human endometrium. Of approximately 12,000 genes profiled, 693 (5.8%) displayed >2-fold differences in relative levels of expression between these stages. Of these, 370 genes (3.1%) displayed decrease...

Luteoprotective mechanisms of luteinizing hormone (LH) involved in the maintenance of bovine corpus luteum (CL) function have not been completely clarified. Since antioxidant enzymes are well documented as antiapoptotic factors in the CL of many mammals, we hypothesized that the luteoprotective action of LH is mediated by stimulating the local production and action of antioxidant enzymes. To te...

A primary ovarian pregnancy is one of the rarest varieties of ectopic pregnancies. The conditions which are most commonly confused with an ovarian pregnancy are, a ruptured corpus luteal cyst, a haemorrhagic corpus luteum and a ruptured endometriotic cyst. This case presents the clinical and the histological findings of a ruptured ovarian pregnancy, along with a ruptured corpus luteal cyst in t...