title: Effect of interactions between granulosa and thecal cells on meiotic arrest in bovine oocytes.
abstract: An in vitro culture system in which two types of cell from ovarian follicular walls were attached to opposite surfaces of a collagen membrane was developed. The effect of granulosa-theca cell communication on oocyte maturation was investigated using this culture system. Bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes were incubated with granulosa cells, with or without theca cells. The time course of germinal vesicle breakdown was assessed. When cultured with granulosa cells alone, oocytes showed 100% germinal vesicle breakdown after incubation for 6 h. However, when cultured with granulosa and theca cells, germinal vesicle breakdown was significantly delayed for up to 12 h. Breakdown was further delayed by 12 h when cumulus-oocyte complexes were incubated with FSH-treated granulosa and thecal cultures. FSH did not exert this inhibitory effect when in culture with granulosa cells alone. When cumulus-oocyte complexes were incubated with thecal cells alone, all oocytes underwent germinal vesicle breakdown within 6 h; the addition of FSH to the culture medium did not affect the time course of breakdown. It is concluded that a signal(s) from thecal cells augments the meiosis-arresting activity of granulosa cells and that FSH increases the meiosis-arresting activity of granulosa cells under the influence of thecal cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukui Medical School Matsuoka-Cho, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kotsuji
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tominaga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008540:Meiosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone