title: Developmental programming: prenatal testosterone excess disrupts anti-Müllerian hormone expression in preantral and antral follicles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of prenatal T excess on the expression of key ovarian regulators implicated in follicular recruitment and persistence using a large animal model of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Interventional, animal model study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic research unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 25 female fetuses, 14 prepubertal female, and 24 adult female Suffolk sheep.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prenatal T treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical determination of expression of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), kit ligand, and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) in fetal, prepubertal, and adult ovarian tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prenatal T treatment reduced the AMH protein expression in granulosa cells (GC) of preantral follicles and increased its expression in antral follicles compared with age-matched adult controls. These differences were not evident in prepubertal animals. Protein expression of GDF9 and kit ligand was not altered at any of the developmental time points studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal T exposure is associated with changes in AMH expression in preantral and antral follicles in adult ovaries, similar to findings in women with PCOS. These findings indicate that abnormal folliculogenesis in PCOS may be at least in part mediated by changes in AMH expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5404, USA.
authors.forename: Almudena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veiga-Lopez
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Vasantha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Padmanabhan
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D055429:Growth Differentiation Factor 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D010053:Ovary / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D012756:Sheep; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D043343:Testosterone Propionate
chemical_list: D055429:Growth Differentiation Factor 9; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D043343:Testosterone Propionate