title: Nerve growth factor promotes the survival of goat preantral follicles cultured in vitro.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the in vitro culture of goat preantral follicles. Ovarian cortex fragments were cultured in α-MEM+ supplemented with 0, 1, 10, 50, 100 or 200 ng/ml NGF for 1 or 7 days. Small fragments of noncultured ovarian tissue as well as those cultured for 1 or 7 days were processed for histology and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that after 1 or 7 days of culture at all concentrations of NGF, except at 1 ng/ml after 1 day of culture, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of normal follicles compared to noncultured tissues. At higher NGF concentrations (100 and 200 ng/ml) after 7 days of culture, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of normal follicles compared to tissues cultured in α-MEM+ alone or at the other concentrations of NGF. It is important to note that ultrastructural and fluorescent analyses confirmed only the integrity of follicles cultured with 1 ng/ml of NGF after 7 days. In contrast to noncultured control tissues, the percentage of developing follicles was significantly increased at all concentrations of NGF after 1 or 7 days of culture. We observed that follicular diameter was greater at 1 and 10 ng/ml NGF after culture for 7 days than at the other concentrations but was similar to follicles cultured in α-MEM+ alone. In conclusion, NGF improved the survival of goat preantral follicles cultured in vitro in a dose-dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Manipulation of Oocytes and Preantral Follicles, Veterinary Faculty, State University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil. rncvet@gmail.com
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: A M C V
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: A B G
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: J J H
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Celestino
authors.forename: M H T
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: C A P
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Campello
authors.forename: K P O
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Name
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Báo
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor