Factors that control recruitment of theca cells from ovarian stromal-interstitial cells are important for early follicle development in the ovary. During recruitment, theca cells organize into distinct layers around early developing follicles and establish essential cell-cell interactions with granulosa cells. Recruitment of theca cells from ovarian stromal stem cells is proposed to involve cel...

Background Theca cells play important roles during folliculogenesis. They synthesize androgens, provide crosstalk with granulosa cells and oocytes during development, and provide structural support of the growing follicle to produce a mature and fertilizable oocyte. In children patients who are going to be ovariectomy, follicogenesis is at early stage and thus the follicles need to be mature in...

Although ovarian theca cells play an indispensable role in folliculogenesis by providing follicular structural integrity and steroid substrates for estrogen production, little information is available about their recruitment, growth, and differentiation because their immature forms have not been identified. We have isolated putative thecal stem cells with the ability to self-renew and different...

The direct actions of kit-ligand/stem cell factor (KL) in developing ovarian follicles were investigated. Previous studies have shown that granulosa cells express KL that can support oocyte development. The current study demonstrates that KL can also act directly on theca cells to promote cellular growth and differentiation. Through RT-PCR analysis it was shown that bovine granulosa cells expre...

multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in which t cells experience a second phase of activation, which ultimately leads to axonal demyelination and neurological disability. the recent advances in stem cell therapies may serve as potential treatments for neurological disorders. there are broad types of stem cells such as neural, embryonic, mesenchymal and hem...

BACKGROUND Theca cells play an important role in controlling ovarian steroidogenesis by providing aromatizable androgens for granulosa cell estrogen biosynthesis. Although it is well established that the steroidogenic activity of theca cells is mainly regulated by LH, the intracellular signal transduction mechanisms that regulate thecal proliferation and/or steroidogenesis remain obscure. In th...

germline and somatic stem cells are distinct types of stem cells that are dedicated to reproduction and somatic tissue regeneration, respectively. germline stem cells (gscs), which can self-renew and generate gametes, are unique stem cells in that they are solely dedicated to transmit genetic information from generation to generation. we developed a strategy for the establishment of germline st...

conclusions large amounts of preclinical studies have been made of stem cells and there is an increasing interest to perform these studies within the human population but preclinical studies are insufficient; therefore, much more and efficient studies should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stem cells. context musculoskeletal injuries may be painful, troublesome, life limitin...

Organogenesis of the ovary is a highly orchestrated process involving multiple lineage determination of ovarian surface epithelium, granulosa cells and theca cells. Although the sources of ovarian surface epithelium and granulosa cells are known, the origin(s) of theca progenitor cells have not been definitively identified. Here we show that theca cells derive from two sources: Wt1(+) cells ind...

In postpartum dairy cows, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli causes uterine inflammation and leads to ovarian dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of LPS on steroid production in bovine theca cells at different stages of follicular development. Theca cells isolated from pre- and post-selection follicles (PRFs, <8.5 mm ...