title: Nuclear maturation inducers in Bufo arenarum oocytes.
abstract: The present study analyses the effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and mammalian insulin on the nuclear maturation of Bufo arenarum oocytes under in vitro conditions. The response of fully grown follicle oocytes to DHT, shown by germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), occurred in a manner dependent on dose, time and sexual cycle period. The highest oocyte sensitivity to the hormone appeared during the breeding period, a fact evinced by high GVBD percentages after short incubation periods and at a low hormone concentrations. Insulin also proved effective in inducing nuclear maturation, although its action was only visible at high concentrations and after a long incubation period. The combination of insulin and steroid hormones (DHT or progesterone), both at subliminal doses, caused a noticeable potentiating synergism, resulting in a rapid and important increase in GVBD. Another effect of insulin was the acquisition by oocytes of steroid sensitivity during folliculogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, National University of Tucumán, Chacabuco, Argentina. inramos@unt.edu.ar
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cisint
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002022:Bufo arenarum; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D011374:Progesterone