Recombinant FSH (Org32489) induces follicle growth and ovulation in the adult cyclic rat

1995 ◽  
Vol 144 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
W A van Cappellen ◽  
H M A Meijs-Roelofs ◽  
P Kramer ◽  
E C M van Leeuwen ◽  
R de Leeuw ◽  
...  

Abstract The effects of a single injection of recombinant human FSH (rhFSH; Org32489) on ovulation rate and timing and on antral follicle growth were studied in adult 5-day cyclic rats. Rats injected at 1700 h on dioestrus-2 with a dose of 10 IU rhFSH showed, on average, no increase in ovulation rate on the day of expected oestrus. However, an additional, precocious ovulation resulting in a normal number of corpora lutea 13·3±0·4, n=6) was found to take place on the night after injection, i.e. dioestrus-3. No mating behaviour, as shown by the absence of vaginal plugs the next morning, was observed at this ovulation. Follicle counts showed a loss of large antral follicles due to ovulation and increased numbers of healthy small antral follicles at 17 and 41 h after injection, indicating a decrease of atresia of growing follicles as well as additional recruitment of new antral follicles. The endogenous serum FSH concentration on the subsequent day of oestrus (65 h after the rhFSH injection) as well as recruitment of small antral follicles were lower in the rhFSH-treated rats than in saline-treated controls. The ovulation at oestrus, 48 h after the precocious, rhFSH-induced ovulation showed large differences in the number of oocytes between the rats in one treatment group. Similar results in terms of immediate ovulation induction were obtained by using a highly purified human urinary FSH preparation (i.e. metrodin). Furthermore, the direct induction of ovulation by rhFSH or metrodin could not be prevented by the injection of an LHRH antagonist. It was concluded that rhFSH can induce acute ovulation in rats, and stimulates follicular development directly or indirectly through increased FSH levels after ovulation. It induces antral follicle growth and decreases early atresia in small antral follicles. Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 144, 39–47

1991 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. Sander ◽  
H. M. A. Meijs-Roelofs ◽  
E. C. M. van Leeuwen ◽  
P. Kramer ◽  
W. A. van Cappellen

ABSTRACT In late-prepubertal female rats passive immunoneutralization of endogenous inhibin was achieved by injection of inhibin antiserum. Effects on follicle population, timing of sexual maturation, ovulation rate at first and second oestrus and serum FSH levels were studied. Rats were injected with antiserum, (non-immune) control serum from castrated sheep (castrated serum) or their IgG fractions, or with saline on day 33 or 3 or 2 days (days −3/−2) before the expected day of first ovulation, day 38·5±0·2 (n = 70). Blood was collected from different subgroups at 8, 24 and 48 h, and at first and second oestrus after injection. At necropsy, ovaries were histologically prepared for differential counting of follicles (48 h and first oestrus) and counting of corpora lutea (CL; first and second oestrus) as an index of ovulation rate. Results from rats injected with either serum or its IgG fraction were not different, as was the case when rats were injected with either castrated serum or saline. Thus, results from groups treated with antiserum and antiserum IgG were combined and labelled 'antiserum', and the castrated serum, castrated serum IgG and saline-treated groups were combined and labelled 'control'. The activity of inhibin-neutralizing antibodies in the circulation of antiserum-treated rats was reduced by 43% between 8 h and second oestrus after injection, as determined by the binding of purified bioactive radioiodinated 31 kDa bovine inhibin. After antiserum injection on day 33, more healthy antral follicles (vol. > 100 × 105 μm3, diameter > 260 μm) were present in the ovaries at 48 h (70·6 vs 54·4; P < 0·05) and at first oestrus (73·1 vs 50·8; P < 0·05) if first oestrus was reached within 5 days, but numbers were not different if first oestrus was more than 5 days after injection (52·6 vs 50·8). The number of CL after injection of antiserum on day 33 was increased at first oestrus compared with control (13·4±0·5, n = 30, vs 10·0±0·2, n = 40; P<0·001), an effect that was even more clearly present in antiserum-injected rats ovulating within 5 days (14·4±0·7, n = 20; P < 0·001). Rats injected with antiserum at days −3/−2 showed a doubling of ovulation rate at first oestrus when compared with control animals (21·5±0·8, n = 12, vs 10·5±0·2, n = 15; P < 0·001). No differences in the number of CL was seen at second oestrus. Age and body weight on the day of first ovulation were not influenced by antiserum treatment. Serum FSH was significantly (P < 0·01) increased at 8 h after antiserum injection on either day 33 or on days −3/−2 to a level of 250 and 800% of control levels respectively. Thus, injection with inhibin–neutralizing antiserum into prepubertal female rats resulted, through an increase in serum FSH concentration 8 h after injection, in the growth of additional numbers of healthy antral follicles. Supranormal ovulation rate occurred if antiserum injections were given within the last 5 days before first ovulation, with a maximal ovulation rate after injection on days −3/−2. The data support the view that, in the immature female rat during the last 5 days before the day of first ovulation, inhibin is (through its regulation of serum FSH levels) progressively involved in the control of follicle growth and ovulation rate. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 130, 289–296


Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (8) ◽  
pp. 2870-2880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Orisaka ◽  
Katsushige Hattori ◽  
Shin Fukuda ◽  
Tetsuya Mizutani ◽  
Kaoru Miyamoto ◽  
...  

Abstract Several clinical studies have shown a correlation of hypersecretion of LH and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), infertility, and miscarriage in women, suggesting that chronically elevated LH impairs fertility. Growth arrest of small antral follicles in PCOS is also assumed to be associated with an abnormal endocrine environment involving increased LH stimulation, a hyperandrogenic milieu, and subsequent dysregulated FSH action in the ovarian follicles. In this study, we examined whether and how LH modulates follicular development and steroid production during preantral-early antral follicle transition by using a rat preantral follicle culture system. LH augments testosterone and estradiol production in preantral follicles via up-regulating mRNA abundance of CYP17A1 and CYP19A1. LH promotes rat preantral follicle growth, and the follicular size reaches that of early antral follicles in vitro, a response attenuated by the specific androgen receptor antagonist and a targeted disruption of androgen receptor gene. Sustained follicle stimulation by LH, but not by androgen, decreases FSH receptor mRNA levels and FSH receptor signaling and inhibits FSH-induced follicular growth. The data suggest that LH promotes preantral-early antral transition via the increased synthesis and growth-promoting action of androgen. However, chronic LH stimulation impairs FSH-dependent antral follicle growth by suppressing granulosa cell FSHR expression via the modulation of intraovarian regulators, including LH-induced thecal factors.


1985 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Robinson ◽  
J. J. Evans ◽  
M. E. Forster

Abstract. Injection of oxytocin into normal adult cycling mice caused alterations in ovarian histology. Oxytocin was administered early on the day of pro-oestrus and it induced the appearance of large numbers of corpora lutea by late pro-oestrus, suggesting oxytocin stimulated ovulation. When mice were examined very early on the day of normal oestrus the ovarian population of follicles was different in the experimental group from that in the control mice, there being increased numbers of preantral and antral follicles in treated animals. As oxytocin can cause an alteration in the timing of follicular maturation and ovulation processes study of communications between the adenohypophysis and areas containing oxytocin might be important for understanding physiological details of ovulation. The relative times at which, for instance, antral follicle and corpora lutea populations increased suggested that oxytocin might have more than one activity which affects ovarian behaviour.


Reproduction ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriyuki Takahashi ◽  
Wataru Tarumi ◽  
Bunpei Ishizuka

Most of the previous studies on ovarian hyaluronan (HA) have focused on mature antral follicles or corpora lutea, but scarcely on small preantral follicles. Moreover, the origin of follicular HA is unknown. To clarify the localization of HA and its synthases in small growing follicles, involvement of HA in follicle growth, and gonadotropin regulation of HA synthase (Has) gene expression, in this study, perinatal, immature, and adult ovaries of Wistar-Imamichi rats were examined histologically and biochemically and byin vitrofollicle culture. HA was detected in the extracellular matrix of granulosa and theca cell layers of primary follicles and more advanced follicles. Ovarian HA accumulation ontogenetically started in the sex cords of perinatal rats, and its primary site shifted to the intrafollicular region of primary follicles within 5 days of birth. TheHas1–3mRNAs were expressed in the ovaries of perinatal, prepubertal, and adult rats, and the expression levels ofHas1andHas2genes were modulated during the estrous cycle in adult rats and following administration of exogenous gonadotropins in immature acyclic rats. TheHas1andHas2mRNAs were predominantly localized in the theca and granulosa cell layers of growing follicles respectively. Treatments with chemicals known to reduce ovarian HA synthesis induced follicular atresia. More directly, the addition ofStreptomyceshyaluronidase, which specifically degrades HA, induced the arrest of follicle growth in anin vitroculture system. These results indicate that gonadotropin-regulated HA synthesis is involved in normal follicle growth.


1991 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Picton ◽  
A. S. McNeilly

ABSTRACT Ewes chronically treated with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist were used to investigate the importance of the peripheral concentration of LH in FSH-stimulated follicular development. Twenty-four Welsh Mountain ewes were treated with two agonist implants containing 3·3 mg buserelin. During week 6 of treatment all the ewes were given a 72-h continuous infusion of ovine FSH alone (3 μg/h) or FSH with large (7·5 μg)- or small (2·5 μg) amplitude pulses of ovine LH delivered at 4-hourly intervals. The importance of baseline LH throughout the FSH infusion was evaluated in six animals which were treated with a specific antiserum against bovine LH (LH-AS) 15–20 h before the start of FSH treatment. In the absence of LH-AS, infusion of FSH alone or with large or small pulses of LH stimulated the development of a normal number of small follicles (≤ 2·5 mm in diameter) and large follicles (> 2·5 mm in diameter). These follicles had normal diameter and steroid secretion compared with control ewes on day 8 of the luteal phase. In contrast, the animals pretreated with LH-AS developed no follicles > 2·0 mm in diameter but the number of small follicles per ewe was significantly (P < 0·05) increased. These results support the hypothesis that FSH in the absence of pulsatile LH release stimulates preovulatory follicular development in ewes treated with GnRH agonist. The follicular response to LH pulses of different amplitude is dependent on both the stage of development of the follicle and the peripheral concentration of FSH. The endogenous basal level of LH present throughout the FSH infusion is essential for FSH to induce follicle growth beyond > 2·5 mm in diameter. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 128, 449–456


Reproduction ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 139 (5) ◽  
pp. 871-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M H Combelles ◽  
Emily A Holick ◽  
Louis J Paolella ◽  
David C Walker ◽  
Qiaqia Wu

The antral follicle constitutes a complex and regulated ovarian microenvironment that influences oocyte quality. Oxidative stress is a cellular state that may play a role during folliculogenesis and oogenesis, although direct supporting evidence is currently lacking. We thus evaluated the expression of the three isoforms (SOD1, SOD2, and SOD3) of the enzymatic antioxidant superoxide dismutase in all the cellular (granulosa cells, cumulus cells, and oocytes) and extracellular (follicular fluid) compartments of the follicle. Comparisons were made in bovine ovaries across progressive stages of antral follicular development. Follicular fluid possessed increased amounts of SOD1, SOD2, and SOD3 in small antral follicles when compared with large antral follicles; concomitantly, total SOD activity was highest in follicular fluids from smaller diameter follicles. SOD1, SOD2, and SOD3 proteins were expressed in granulosa cells without any fluctuations in follicle sizes. All three SOD isoforms were present, but were distributed differently in oocytes from small, medium, or large antral follicles. Cumulus cells expressed high levels of SOD3, some SOD2, but no detectable SOD1. Our studies provide a temporal and spatial expression profile of the three SOD isoforms in the different compartments of the developing bovine antral follicles. These results lay the ground for future investigations into the potential regulation and roles of antioxidants during folliculogenesis and oogenesis.


1992 ◽  
Vol 134 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Glencross ◽  
E. C. L. Bleach ◽  
B. J. McLeod ◽  
A. J. Beard ◽  
P. G. Knight

ABSTRACT To study the effects of immunoneutralization of endogenous inhibin on gonadotrophin secretion and ovarian function, prepubertal heifers (n = 6) were actively immunized against a synthetic peptide replica of the N-terminal sequence of bovine inhibin α subunit bIα(1–29)Tyr30) coupled to ovalbumin. In contrast to ovalbumin-immunized controls (n=6), bIα(1–29)Tyr30-immunized heifers had detectable inhibin antibody titres (% binding to 125I-labelled bovine inhibin at 1:2000 dilution of plasma) of 17 ± 3% (s.e.m.) at puberty, rising to 31 ± 5% by the end of the study period 7 months later. Neither age (immunized: 295 ± 8 days; controls: 300 ± 5 days) nor body weight (immunized: 254 ± 13 kg; controls 251 ± 9 kg) at onset of puberty differed between groups. Although the difference did not reach statistical significance, mean plasma FSH concentrations recorded in inhibin-immunized heifers remained 35–40% higher than in controls throughout the 12-week period leading up to puberty (P = 0·14) and during nine successive oestrous cycles studied after puberty (P=0·10). Plasma LH concentrations did not differ between groups at any time during the study. Inhibin immunization had no effect on oestrous cycle length (immunized: 19·8±0·5 days; controls: 19·9±0·5 days). However, in comparison with controls, inhibinimmunized heifers had more medium sized (≥0·5 to <1 cm diameter) follicles during both the preovulatory (95%, P<0·001) and post-ovulatory (110%, P < 0·05 waves of follicular growth and more large (>1 cm diameter) follicles during the preovulatory wave (49%, P<0·05). In addition, the number of corpora lutea observed during the post-ovulatory phase of each cycle was significantly greater in the inhibin-immunized group (43%, P<0·01), as was the recorded incidence of cycles with multiple ovulations (19/56 in the inhibin-immunized group compared with 0/54 in controls; P<0·001). All six inhibinimmunized heifers had at least one cycle with multiple ovulation whereas none of the control heifers did so. These results support the conclusion that immunoneutralization of endogenous inhibin using a synthetic peptide-based vaccine can enhance ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate in heifers. Whether this ovarian response is dependent upon the expected increase in secretion of FSH remains to be established. Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 134, 11–18


Reproduction ◽  
2002 ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Mattiske ◽  
G Shaw ◽  
JM Shaw

Ovaries from a marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), were grafted into a eutherian recipient at known stages of development to ascertain whether normal development would occur. Xenografted ovaries from pouch young < 20 days old, before the onset of meiosis, retained few germ cells and developed tubule-like structures reminiscent of seminiferous cords. Ovaries from 50-day-old pouch young, which contain primordial follicles, developed into antral follicles and corpora lutea within the eutherian host, and produced hormones that stimulated the reproductive tract of the host. The timing of onset of antrum formation and the progress of follicle development were advanced relative to the timing of events in ovaries in situ. Frozen-thawed ovaries from 50-day-old donors developed into preantral follicles, but at a reduced rate and number. This finding shows that gonads of a marsupial species can develop as xenografts in a eutherian, forming large antral follicles. Accelerated follicular development in xenografts provides a potentially valuable model for studying the factors that control follicle development. Assisted reproduction of endangered marsupials may also be feasible using follicles from pouch young grown as xenografts in a eutherian host.


Reproduction ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth P McNatty ◽  
Derek A Heath ◽  
Norma L Hudson ◽  
Karen L Reader ◽  
Laurel Quirke ◽  
...  

In mammals with a low ovulation rate phenotype, ovarian follicular development is thought to be hierarchical with few, if any, antral follicles at similar stages of development. The hypothesis being tested herein was that if most follicles are in a functionally different state, then the application of exogenous hormones to increase ovulation rate will not overcome the hierarchical nature of follicular development. Using sheep as the experimental model, the functional states of all non-atretic antral follicles ≥2 mm diameter were assessed in individual ewes (N=10/group) during anoestrus with or without pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) treatment, or after a standard superovulation regimen, or during the follicular phase of the oestrous cycle. The functional states of these follicles were assessed by measuring the FSH- or human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)-induced cAMP responses of granulosa cellsin vitro. There were significant overall effects across the treatment groups on the responses of granulosa cells to either FSH or LH (bothP<0.001). It was concluded that for anoestrous ewes with or without PMSG treatment, and ewes during the follicular phase, granulosa cell populations of many follicles (≥2 mm diameter) did not share a similar cAMP response to FSH (∼50% of follicles) or hCG (>90% of follicles) either on a per cell or total cell basis. After superovulation, ≤30 and 10% respectively of the granulosa cell populations shared similar responses to FSH and LH with regard to follicular diameter and cAMP output. Thus, exogenous hormone treatments used routinely for increasing oocyte yield do not effectively override the hierarchical pattern of ovarian follicular development during the follicular phase.


2015 ◽  
Vol 228 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Fernandois ◽  
E Na ◽  
F Cuevas ◽  
G Cruz ◽  
H E Lara ◽  
...  

We have previously reported that kisspeptin (KP) may be under the control of the sympathetic innervation of the ovary. Considering that the sympathetic activity of the ovary increases with aging, it is possible that ovarian KP also increases during this period and participates in follicular development. To evaluate this possibility, we determined ovarian KP expression and its action on follicular development during reproductive aging in rats. We measured ovarian KP mRNA and protein levels in 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-month-old rats. To evaluate follicular developmental changes, intraovarian administration of KP or its antagonist, peptide 234 (P234), was performed using a mini-osmotic pump, and to evaluate FSH receptor (FSHR) changes in the senescent ovary, we stimulated cultured ovaries with KP, P234 and isoproterenol (ISO). Our results shows that KP expression in the ovary was increased in 10- and 12-month-old rats compared with 6-month-old rats, and this increase in KP was strongly correlated with the increase in ovarian norepinephrine observed with aging. The administration of KP produced an increase in corpora lutea and type III follicles in 6- and 10-month-old rats, which was reversed by P234 administration at 10 months. In addition, KP decreased the number and size of antral follicles in 6- and 10-month-old rats, while P234 administration produced an increase in these structures at the same ages. In ovarian cultures KP prevented the induction of FSHR by ISO. These results suggest that intraovarian KP negatively participates in the acquisition of FSHR, indicating a local role in the regulation of follicular development and ovulation during reproductive aging.


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