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Human Reproduction, Vol. 8, No. 9, pp. 1392-1395, 1993
© 1993 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

research-article

Endocrinology: Presence and possible function of activin-like substance in human follicular fluid

M. Sadatsuki1, O. Tsutsumi1,3, R. Sakai2, Y. Eto2, N. Hayashi1 and Y. Taketani1

1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113 2Central Research Laboratories, Ajinomoto Co. Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210, Japan

Correspondence: 3To whom correspondence should be addressed

We assessed the presence of an activin-like substance in human follicular fluid that was obtained from women undergoing in-vitro fertilization using a bioassay for activin A. Activin activity was not detected in crude follicular fluids; the bioactivity of standard activin A was inhibited by the addition of follicular fluid. After the follistatin (binding protein of activin A) was removed from follicular fluid using a purification procedure, activin activity was detected in the follicular fluids (mean concentration: 131 ± 40 ng/ml). Activin activity was inhibited by the addition of follistatin to fluid. The concentration of activin activity was substantially higher (~100-fold) than that reported in serum. The concentration negatively and significantly correlated with the number of developed follicles in the ovary (r = 0.501, P < 0.01). These results suggest that activin A and its binding protein are present in follicular fluid in large amounts and that they may have a role in local ovarian regulation.

Key words: activin/follicular development/follicular fluid/follistatin/Friend's cell bioassay


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