Ovaries, which provide a place for follicular development and oocyte maturation, are important organs in female mammals. Follicular development is complicated physiological progress mediated by various regulatory factors including microRNAs (miRNAs). To demonstrate the role of miRNAs in follicular development, this study analyzed the expression patterns of miRNAs in granulosa cells through inve...

Mammalian oocytes secrete transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily proteins, such as growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) and BMP15, and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). These oocyte-derived paracrine factors (ODPFs) play essential roles in regulating the differentiation and function of somatic granulosa cells as well as the development of ovarian...

Follicular development is characterized by intensive proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells. It was reported that during follicular growth granulosa cells arise from the population of stem cells. One of the main evidences for stem characteristics of the cell is the ability to express telomerase--an enzyme complex responsible for integrity and stability of chromosome ends (telomere...

This manuscript reviews the present knowledge related to folliculogenesis in sheep.Folliculogenesis starts with formation of primordial follicles before birth, present as a pool containing a certain number of follicles. By the attainment of puberty, a group of follicles from that pool starts to grow, a process known as primordial follicle activation or recruitment. The number of growing primord...

Ovarian follicular growth and development are regulated by extraovarian and intraovarian factors, which influence granulosa cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the molecular mechanisms that drive follicular growth are not completely understood. Ovarian follicular cysts are one of the most common causes of reproductive failure in dairy cattle. Nevertheless, the primary cause of cyst...

Follicular development and differentiation are sequential events which are tightly regulated by endocrine hormones, intraovarian regulators and cell-cell interactions. Balanced cell proliferation and apoptosis play an important role in the selection of dominant follicle. The formation of primordial follicle is initiated after a migratory primordial germ cell establishes a transitory close conta...

Nodular thyroid disease or nodular goiter is characterized by the presence of a single or multiple nodules within the thyroid parenchyma. The formation of thyroid nodules is thought to be the result of the intrinsic heterogeneity of thyroid follicular cells, in responding to low-grade or intermittent stimulus, regarding their growth potential and function [1,2]. This heterogeneity in growth and...

Angiogenesis is coordinated with follicular cell growth in goitrogenesis. The angiopoietins, Ang-1 and Ang-2, are angiogenic growth factors acting through Tie-2, a tyrosine kinase receptor. We have examined the expression and regulation of the angiopoietins and Tie-2 in human and rat thyroids. In human goiters there was increased Tie-2 immunostaining, compared with that in normal thyroids, on b...

Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease of as yet incompletely elucidated etiology and pathogenesis. The following have been identified as the most significant factors: follicular hyperkeratosis, increased sebum secretion, Propionibacterium (P.) acnes, and inflammation. Increased sebum production and follicular hyperkeratosis result in the development of microcomedones, and changes in follicu...

Background Poor and fragmentary data was available regarding the effects of recombinant-LH (r-LH) in in-vitro granulosa and theca cells of human origin. No data was available from in vivo studies regarding the effects of r-LH supplementation on SCF,EGF,ERK-1/2 and AKT-1 pathways in the follicular fluid of older-poor-responder women undergoing IVF cycle. Evidence from in-vitro and animal studies...