title: Decline in serum follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations alters key intrafollicular growth factors involved in selection of the dominant follicle in heifers.
abstract: Declining FSH after a transient rise coincides with selection of a dominant follicle (DF) and atresia of the remaining cohort follicles (subordinates) in cattle. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) whether intrafollicular amounts of inhibins, activin-A, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and IGF-I-binding proteins (IGFBP) are altered during selection of the first-wave dominant follicle (DF1) and 2) whether these biochemical markers are FSH dependent. Beef heifers received six or eight 6-h injections of saline (controls) or eight 6-h injections of recombinant bovine FSH (1 mg/injection) at 38 to 42 h after estrus (Day 0). Daily ultrasound scanning was used to define selection of DF1. Controls (n = 6 per group) were ovariectomized 1) on Day 3 of the estrous cycle before DF1 selection (preselection follicles) and 2) after DF1 selection on Day 4.8 +/- 0.5. In controls, FSH declined between Days 2 and 3 and selection of DF1 occurred between Days 3 and 5. During this interval, intrafollicular estradiol concentrations increased > 5-fold in DF1, yet declined 4-fold in subordinates (p < 0.05). In DF1, total IGF-I increased 1.3-fold (p < 0.05), whereas the amounts of the 40- to 47-kDa and the 35-kDa IGFBP (ligand hybridization) decreased 2.4- and 2.5-fold, respectively (p < 0.05), compared to values in preselection follicles on Day 3; total dimeric inhibin-A decreased 1.8-fold (p < 0.05). In contrast, amounts of the 30- to 32-kDa IGFBP increased 12.4-fold (p < 0.05) in subordinates on Day 4.8 compared with preselection follicles on Day 3, while the amount of inhibins > 34 kDa decreased 4- to 9-fold (p < 0.05). In FSH-treated heifers, both selection of DF1 and atresia of subordinates were delayed by 2.2 days. Preselection follicles recovered on Day 4.9 +/- 0.1 from FSH-treated heifers were similar (p > 0.05) in almost all biochemical parameters to preselection follicles from control heifers; however, they differed markedly from both DF1 and subordinate follicles recovered from control heifers on Day 4.8 +/- 0.5. In conclusion, the decline in FSH beginning after Day 2 of the heifer estrous cycle causes differential alterations in FSH-dependent growth factors and hormones within the cohort of preselection follicles, simultaneously inducing growth and enhanced estradiol-producing capacity of the DF and atresia of subordinate follicles.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland. monika.mihm@ucd.ie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mihm
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Good
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Roche
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D019281:Dimerization; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008183:Luteal Phase; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000502:physiology*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone