title: Effects of follicle-stimulating hormone and 17beta-estradiol on proliferation of chicken embryonic ovarian germ cells in culture.
abstract: The effects of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and 17beta-estradiol (E2) on chicken ovarian germ cell proliferation were evaluated through a germ-somatic cell coculture model. Ovarian cells from the left ovaries of 18-day-old chicken embryos were cultured in serum-free McCoy's 5A medium at 39 degrees C and challenged with FSH (0.25-1.0 IU/mL) or E2 (10(-8)-10(-5) M) alone and in combination for 48 h. The number of germ cells was counted, and the proliferating cells were immunolocalized by a specific antibody against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The labeling index (LI) was determined for germ cells. Results revealed that germ cells could survive and kept proliferating under support of somatic cells. Germ cells were localized by expression of a specific antibody for stem cell factor receptor c-kit. Both FSH (0.25-1.0 IU/mL) and E2 (10(-7)-10(-5) M) alone induced a marked increase in germ cell number (P<0.05), and PCNA-LI of germ cells was greater in FSH-treated groups (0.25-1.0 IU/mL) and E2-treated groups (10(-8)-10(-5) M), compared with vehicle-treated group (P<0.05). Furthermore, FSH manifested a synergistic effect with E2 (10(-6)-10(-5) M) in stimulating germ cell proliferation. These results indicate that FSH might interact with estrogen to promote ovarian germ cell proliferation in embryonic chickens near hatching.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, No. 268 Kaixuan Road, Hangzhou 310029, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Meina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Caiqiao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yuling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002645:Chickens; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit