Ovarian follicle development is a complex process that begins with the establishment of what is thought to be a finite pool of primordial follicles and culminates in either the atretic degradation of the follicle or the release of a mature oocyte for fertilization. This review highlights the many advances made in understanding these events using transgenic mouse models. Specifically, this revie...

Through the use of parabiosis in mice, aging-related deterioration of skeletal muscle and liver has been linked to a loss of systemic factors that support adult stem or progenitor cell activity. Since aging-related ovarian failure has recently been attributed, at least in part, to a loss of de-novo oocyte-containing follicle formation associated with declining oogonial stem cell activity, herei...

BACKGROUND Cyclins regulate the cell cycle in association with cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs). CDKs are under inhibitory control of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs). METHOD In this study we tested the expression of CDKIs p15, p16, p21 and p27 by immunohistochemistry to determine the role of CDKIs in the initiation of primordial follicle growth. Ovaries were collected from 60-day-ol...

Most follicles in the mammalian ovary undergo atresia. Granulosa cell apoptosis is a hallmark of follicle atresia. Our previous study using a microRNA (miRNA) microarray showed that the let-7 microRNA family was differentially expressed during follicular atresia. However, whether the let-7 miRNA family members are related to porcine (Sus scrofa) ovary follicular apoptosis is unclear. In the cur...

Follicular atresia has been examined previously by various biochemical and histological methods. The aim of this study was to compare, for the first time, detection of granulosa cell apoptosis by biochemical DNA analysis and microscopic examination of fresh granulosa cell morphology with the established method of detecting atresia by histology in equine follicles. DNA extracted from granulosa c...

BACKGROUND Hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance may be related to the etiology of PCOS. Zucker fa/fa rats with polycystic ovary are obese, have insulin resistance without diabetes mellitus or hyperandrogenism and can be utilized as PCOS model rats without effects of hyperandrogenemia. PCOS patients are reported to have elevated levels of serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), which has an inhib...

The Intervet Symposium 'Control and Regulation of Folliculogenesis' took place at the Annual Conference of the Society for the Study of Fertility in University College, Dublin in July, 1995. Five papers were presented, of which abstracts have been published. Discussion centred on monotocous species and principally addressed the question 'How is the ovulatory follicle selected and nurtured?' Man...

The effect of space flight in a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shuttle was studied in pregnant rats. Rats were launched on day 9 of gestation and recovered on day 20 of gestation. On day 20 of gestation, rats were unilaterally hysterectomized and subsequently allowed to go to term and deliver vaginally. There was no effect of space flight on pituitary and ovary mass postpa...

Background: In this study we aimed to investigate the distribution and expression level of pro anti-apoptotic proteins, Bax Bcl-2, in different developmental stages ovarian follicles any relations between these proteins follicle atresia. Materials Methods: For that purpose, bilateral 16 ovaries adult 8 mice were received tissues fixed 10% neutral buffered formalin. Routine tissue processing pro...

Our observations of bovine follicles indicated that the original histological classifications of atresia were inaccurate. A detailed histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study of antral follicles from bovine ovaries collected from an abattoir and from animals whose large follicles had been monitored by ultrasonography was conducted to investigate this further. Nidogen and CD68 ...