Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 1, 38-43,
January 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Inhibin and activin secretion during murine preantral follicle culture and following HCG stimulation
1 Department of Reproductive Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia and 2 School of Biological Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
BACKGROUND: Isolation and culture to antral stage of mouse preantral follicles provides an ideal system for investigating the endocrinology of follicular development to maturity. METHODS: The release of inhibin A, inhibin B, pro-alphaC and activin A was measured at specific time-points throughout an in-vitro culture period of 8 days. At the end of culture, follicles were induced to ovulate in vitro by the addition of HCG and the resulting hormone secretion studied both at 20 h and at 6 h intervals. RESULTS: During the preovulatory culture period, the concentrations of inhibin A, B, pro-alphaC and activin A increased significantly. Compared with control, there was a significant decline at 24 h in the concentrations of inhibin A [P < 0.001; 216 ± 47 versus 823 ± 110 arbitrary mouse units (amu)/ml], inhibin B (P < 0.01; 131 ± 23 versus 361 ± 45 amu/ml) and pro-alphaC (P < 0.001; 14 ± 5 versus 1198 ± 212 pg/ml). In contrast, there was a significant increase in the concentration of activin A (P < 0.001; 1.32 ± 0.04 versus 0.34 ± 0.03 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide clear evidence of a profound change in the relative secretion rates of inhibin and activin relative to ovulation and suggest that the principal role of activin A may be at time of ovulation rather than during follicular development.
Key words: activin/follicular development/HCG/inhibin/mouse
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2119, Australia. E-mail: peteri{at}westgate.wh.usyd.edu.au
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  C. Z. Altuntas, J. M. Johnson, and V. K. Tuohy Autoimmune Targeted Disruption of the Pituitary-Ovarian Axis Causes Premature Ovarian Failure J. Immunol., August 1, 2006; 177(3): 1988 - 1996. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. Wang, H. Newton, J. A. Spaliviero, C. M. Allan, B. Marshan, D. J. Handelsman, and P. J. Illingworth Gonadotropin Control of Inhibin Secretion and the Relationship to Follicle Type and Number in the hpg Mouse Biol Reprod, October 1, 2005; 73(4): 610 - 618. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. A Fowler and N. Spears The cultured rodent follicle as a model for investigations of gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF) production Reproduction, June 1, 2004; 127(6): 679 - 688. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|