title: Reduction of ovulation rate in the rat by administration of a neutrophil-depleting monoclonal antibody.
abstract: To investigate the effect of systemic neutrophil depletion on ovulation rate, rats were synchronised with eCG and hCG, and concurrently were administered neutrophil-specific, cytotoxic RP-3 monoclonal antibody (mAb), or an irrelevant, class-matched mAb. Neutrophils in the peripheral blood and in the thecal-luteal area of corpora lutea were detected by immunohistochemical analysis with the neutrophil-specific mAb MCA149 and were found to be reduced in number by 70% and 38% respectively following RP-3 treatment compared to the control group. Ovulation rate, as assessed by counting the number of oocytes in the ampullary region of the oviduct 20 h after hCG administration, was found to be reduced by 27% in the neutrophil-depleted rats. This result provides further evidence that neutrophilic granulocytes play an active role in ovulation in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brännström
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bonello
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal