Activin A stimulates meiotic maturation of the rat oocyte in vitro.
The effect of activin A on meiotic maturation was analyzed in oocytes from immature rats treated with PMSG. Activin A, which was purified as the erythroid differentiation factor, accelerated the maturation of not only follicle-enclosed oocytes and oocyte-cumulus complexes, but also denuded oocytes, as measured by an increase in the percentage of oocytes with germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Oocyte maturation was not accelerated by activin A in the presence of the inhibitor of GVBD such as cyclic-AMP. These results showed activin A is a potent in vitro stimulator of oocyte maturation.
Itoh
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan.
Igarashi
M
M
Yamada
K
K
Hasegawa
Y
Y
Seki
M
M
Eto
Y
Y
Shibai
H
H
D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007265:Inhibins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008540:Meiosis / Q000187:drug effects; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats
D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D003994:Bucladesine