Swine Granulosa Cells Show Typical Endothelial Cell Characteristics.
Granulosa cells, which belong to the somatic compartment of the ovarian follicle, are actively involved as endocrine cells in follicle growth. Recently, it has been proposed that these cells are not terminally differentiated and possess multipotency. Therefore, we cultured swine granulosa cells in specific endothelial cell culture medium (EBM-2), and phenotypic and functional characteristics of endothelial cells were assessed. The collected data suggest that these endocrine cells can also behave as endothelial cells, therefore potentially contributing to follicular angiogenesis, a crucial process in follicle growth and selection.
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy basini@unipr.it.
Giuseppina
G
Basini
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
Irene
I
Falasconi
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
Simona
S
Bussolati
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
Stefano
S
Grolli
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
Rosanna
R
Di Lecce
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
Francesca
F
Grasselli
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D009569:Nitric Oxide
angiogenesis; granulosa cell; ovary