Anti-macrophage inhibitory factor antibody inhibits PMSG-hCG-induced follicular growth and ovulation in mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of an anti-MIF antibody on PMSG-hCG-induced murine follicular growth and ovulation and to determine whether MIF plays an essential role in this process.


METHODS
Mice were primed with an intraperitoneal injection of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and were treated with an anti-rat MIF antibody and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to induce ovulation. After that, the ovulated ova were counted. The ovaries were studied using standard histological procedures.


RESULTS
Ovaries treated with the anti-MIF antibody showed reduced numbers of growing follicles surrounded by granulosa cells and theca cells with a little proliferation compared with the control. The average numbers of ova collected from mice treated with the anti-MIF antibody were reduced compared with those collected from control mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-MIF antibody inhibits the follicular growth and ovulation in mice, and MIF may play an important role in the inflammatory reactions during follicle growth and ovulation.
Matsuura
Toshiki
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan. matsuura@hama-med.ac.jp
Sugimura
Motoi
M
Iwaki
Takayuki
T
Ohashi
Ryota
R
Kanayama
Naohiro
N
Nishihira
Jun
J
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects*
D000906:Antibodies; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; C036835:PMSG-HCG