Granulosa cell tumors can be classified into juvenile and adult types and more commonly occur in ovaries. Adult testicular granulosa cell tumors are extremely rare and only 29 cases of adult type have previously been reported. We report here a 28-year old Caucasian man with a left testicular adult type granulosa cell tumor. The tumor measured 2.6×2.6×2.5 cm and was mitotically active (10/10 HPF...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder diagnosed by anovulation hyperandrogenism.Hyperandrogenism increases apoptosis, which will eventually disturb follicular growth in PCOS patients.Since mitochondria regulate apoptosis, they might be affected by high incidence of follicular atresia. This may causeinfertility. Since vitamin D3 has been shown to...

Prolactin (PRL) has both pro- and anti-gonadal roles in the regulation of avian ovarian functions through its interaction with the receptor (PRLR). However, neither the pattern of expression of PRLR nor its regulatory mechanisms during follicle development have been clearly defined. The objective of the present study was to investigate mechanisms of PRLR expression in chicken granulosa cells. L...

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. Anovulation in polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized by the failure of selection of a dominant follicle with arrest of follicle development at the 5-10 mm stage. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of anovulation associated with this disorder we have investigated at what follicle size human granulosa cells ...

Functional subpopulations of granulosa cells exist in bovine follicles. This study was designed to compare the in vitro steroid production by cultured bovine antral and mural granulosa cells in response to various amounts of FSH. Antral and mural granulosa cells (600,000 viable cells/well) harvested from ovaries of PMSG-treated prepuberal calves were cultured in serum-free conditions for 4 d in...

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...

Phagocytic cells disposing of dying granulosa cells in the atretic ovarian follicles were morphologically studied in guinea pig ovaries at various stages of estrous cycle. Epon embedded semithin sections stained with toluidine blue were observed with a light microscope, and ultrathin sections were examined under a transmission electron microscope. Frozen sections were processed for acid phospha...

Granulosa cell tumors are rare ovarian malignancies. Their characteristics include unpredictable late recurrent and malignant behavior. Recent molecular studies have characterized the FOXL2 402C > G mutation in adult-type granulosa cell tumor. In this study, we report an 80-year-old woman with a granulosa cell tumor arising from ovary. She presented with a huge pelvic mass with postmenopausal b...

BACKGROUND Homeobox (HOX) genes encode transcription factors, which regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and migration. The deregulation of HOX genes is frequently associated with human reproductive system disorders. However, knowledge regarding the role of HOX genes in human granulosa cells is limited. METHODS To determine the role of HOXA7 in the regulation and associated...

Follicular selection predominantly depends on granulosa cell apoptosis in porcine ovaries, but the molecular mechanisms regulating the induction of apoptosis in granulosa cells during follicular selection remain incompletely understood. To determine the role of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), which suppresses caspase-3, -7 and -9 activities and acts as an endogenous inhibitor of...