title: Assessment of the need for follicle stimulating hormone in early preantral mouse follicle culture in vitro.
abstract: In two consecutive controlled experiments 160 early preantral follicles were cultured in order to evaluate effects of recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (r-FSH) on survival, differentiation, oestradiol and inhibin secretion, cumulus mucification and cumulus-corona-oocyte detachment by human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) stimulation. Nuclear maturation in oocytes was also assessed following addition of HCG. A histological analysis of cultured follicles was carried out on semi-thin sections at various culture stages. Addition of r-FSH was essential for follicle survival for 16 days: without r-FSH only 11% of the follicles survived for 12 days (with r-FSH: 79%) and none of these mucified after the HCG stimulus. r-FSH promoted granulosa cell proliferation and antral-like cavity formation. Without r-FSH, histology of the cultures demonstrated degeneration and reduced granulosa cell proliferation; oestradiol and inhibin production were reduced. This study illustrates the essential role of FSH in promoting the in-vitro growth of early preantral mouse ovarian follicles and in maintaining the oocyte under meiotic arrest.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital and Medical School, Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortvrindt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smitz
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Van Steirteghem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012741:Sexual Maturation
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004958:Estradiol; D007265:Inhibins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone