title: Establishment of the reproductive function and transient fertility of female rats lacking primordial follicle stock after fetal gamma-irradiation.
abstract: In mammals, the primordial follicle stock is not renewable, and its size, therefore, limits the reproductive life span of the female. In this study we have investigated the morphological and functional differentiation of dysgenesic ovaries in female rats exposed in utero to 1.5 Gy gamma-irradiation. As a consequence of the severe depletion in oocytes, females evidenced premature ovarian failure from 6 months on. Nevertheless, puberty onset and fertility at the beginning of reproductive life were similar to those of controls. The differentiation and evolution of the entire follicular population were followed during the immature period, using follicle counts, in situ hybridization of follicular maturation markers, and analysis of atresia. Primordial follicles were much more affected by irradiation (1.4-1.9% of controls) than growing follicles (30-45% of controls). As the very low number of primordial follicles remained constant throughout this period, it may be considered that the growing follicle pool plays the role of follicular reserve, permitting the transient normal fertility of irradiated females. Within the neonatal period, primary and secondary follicles, as revealed by proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining, remain quiescent longer in irradiated than in control ovaries. Consequently, the majority of the most mature follicles (i.e. the first follicular wave) characterized by a high expression of aromatase transcripts during the infantile period, are missing in irradiated ovaries. Concomitantly, the 17beta-estradiol plasma peak is absent, and plasma FSH levels are higher than those in control females. In conclusion, these observations emphasize that the female reproductive life span depends not merely on the size of the primordial follicle stock, but also on the entire follicle complement as well as follicular dynamics during the immature period.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie et Physiopathologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-UMR 7079, Université Paris VI, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazaud
authors.forename: Céline J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Guigon
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lozach
authors.forename: Noëlline
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coudouel
authors.forename: Maguelone G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Forest
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coffigny
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Magre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005496:Follicular Atresia; D005720:Gamma Rays; D007668:Kidney / Q000254:growth & development; D009929:Organ Size; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010053:Ovary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000254:growth & development; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D014599:Uterus / Q000254:growth & development; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone