Apoptosis in human granulosa cells after induction of ovulation in women participating in an intracytoplasmic sperm injection program.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether analysis of granulosa cell apoptosis can be useful in assessing follicular and oocyte maturation and the regulation of granulosa cell apoptosis by follicular fluid steroids in preovulatory follicles of stimulated women.


METHODS
Apoptosis in aspirated granulosa cells (n=64) was measured using the Annexin V-affinity assay by flow cytometry. Follicular fluid steroids were determined by ELISA and RIA. Statistics were evaluated using the Levenne test, Student t-test and simple linear regression analysis.


RESULTS
No significant differences in the number and percentage of apoptotic granulosa cells per follicle were observed according to the maturity and fertilizability of the oocytes by intracytoplasmic sperm injection within these follicles. No correlations were found between levels of steroid hormones in follicular fluid and the number and proportion of granulosa cells undergoing apoptosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The percentage of apoptosis in granulosa cells is not related to oocyte maturity and fertilizability by ICSI or to follicular quality in stimulated cycles of normal women. However, the possibility cannot be discarded that this parameter may be of importance at other phases of follicular development or in natural cycles when no treatment that influences follicular physiology is being applied.
Clavero
Ana
A
Servicio de Análisis Cli;nicos, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
Castilla
Jose A
JA
Núñez
Ana I
AI
García-Peña
Ma Luisa
ML
Maldonado
Vicente
V
Fontes
Juan
J
Mendoza
Nicolás
N
Martinez
Luis
L
D017304:Annexin A5; D017209:Apoptosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008677:Metaphase; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013256:Steroids / Q000032:analysis
D017304:Annexin A5; D013256:Steroids