title: Activin A stimulates meiotic maturation of the rat oocyte in vitro.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibai
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D003994:Bucladesine