Gonadotrophin and steroid concentrations in bovine follicular fluid and their relationship to follicle size.
The concentrations of LH, FSH and prolactin, and oestradiol-17 beta, androstenedione, testosterone and progesterone were measured in follicular fluid from small, medium and large bovine follicles. As follicle size increased, there was a significant increase in median fluid concentrations of prolactin (2-fold) and oestradiol-17 beta (14-fold) and a significant decrease in concentrations of LH (to 73%), androstenedione (to 30%) and testosterone (to 10%). There was no relationship between follicle size and fluid concentrations of FSH or progesterone, or between fluid concentrations of FSH and the relative concentrations of androgen and oestradiol-17 beta. As follicle size increased there was a significant increase in the proportion of follicles in which follicular fluid concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta exceeded those of androgen. There was a significant relationship between follicular fluid concentrations of prolactin and progesterone; as fluid prolactin concentrations increased, the maximum concentration of progesterone observed decreased.
D000735:Androstenedione / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000378:metabolism*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin