Introduction Reduction of ovarian reserve has been observed in childhood-onset SLE (c-SLE) and adult SLE populations, and most of them were limited to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and few recent reports included antral follicle count (AFC) and/or anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. In addition, the contribution of diminished follicle ovarian pool using anti-corpus luteum antibodie...

BACKGROUND The human ovary contains a fixed number of primordial follicles that decreases bi-exponentially with age, culminating in the menopause at an average age of 50-51 years. There currently is no reliable test of ovarian reserve for individual women that will accurately predict their remaining reproductive lifespan. METHODS AND RESULTS We use the Faddy-Gosden model of human primordial f...

Although hormonal regulation of ovarian follicle development has been extensively investigated, most studies concentrate on the development of early antral follicles to the preovulatory stage, leading to the successful use of exogenous FSH for infertility treatment. Accumulating data indicate that preantral follicles are under stringent regulation by FSH and local intraovarian factors, thus pro...

Background: Because the ovarian follicle pool is established in utero, adverse exposures during this period may be especially impactful on the size and health of the initial follicle endowment, potentially shaping trajectories of ovarian follicle loss and the eventual onset of menopause. Building on a robust literature linking socioeconomic status (SES) and menopausal timing, the current study ...

BACKGROUND A suitable culture system is important for follicle growth in adult bovine ovarian tissue. This study aimed to assess the avian chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) for short-term culture of adult bovine ovarian tissues compared with a traditional in vitro culture system. METHODS Ovarian cortical tissues (1-2 mm3), collected from slaughtered adult cows, were randomly assigned to control,...

The assembly of the developmentally arrested primordial follicle and the subsequent transition of the primordial follicle to the primary follicle are critical processes in normal ovarian physiology that remain to be elucidated. Ovarian follicles do not proliferate and the primordial follicles present in the neonate represent the total number of gametes available to a female throughout her repro...

Purpose To identify which methods used in the assessment of the ovarian reserve are exclusive or complementary to identify the best response to follicle development. Methods Retrospective cohort study, involving patients undergoing assisted reproduction treatment at the Instituto de Medicina Reprodutiva e Fetal, from April 2009 to July 2014. Age, biochemical tests, and ultrasound were assessed....

The ovarian follicle is the functional unit of the ovary that secretes sex hormones and supports oocyte maturation. In vitro follicle techniques provide a tool to model follicle development in order to investigate basic biology, and are further being developed as a technique to preserve fertility in the clinic. Our in vitro culture system employs hydrogels in order to mimic the native ovarian e...

Mammalian ovaries consist of follicles as basic functional units. The total number of ovarian follicles is determined early in life, and the depletion of this pool leads to reproductive senescence. Each follicle develops to either ovulate or, more likely, to undergo degeneration. The dynamics of ovarian follicle development have interested endocrinologists and developmental biologists for many ...

Oestrogens are pivotal in ovarian follicular growth, development and function, with fundamental roles in steroidogenesis, nurturing the oocyte and ovulation. Infections with bacteria such as Escherichia coli cause infertility in mammals at least in part by perturbing ovarian follicle function, characterised by suppression of oestradiol production. Ovarian follicle granulosa cells produce oestra...