Human Reproduction, Vol. 16, No. 7, 1353-1358,
July 2001
© 2001 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Relationship between follicle size and gonadotrophin surge attenuating factor (GnSAF) bioactivity during spontaneous cycles in women
1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, 3 School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading and 4 Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Physiology, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK
BACKGROUND: We have previously demonstrated that follicles 
11 mm diameter from women undergoing IVF contain higher concentrations of gonadotrophin surge attenuating factor (GnSAF) bioactivity than large follicles from the same ovaries. METHODS: To determine whether this finding is relevant to spontaneous cycles, follicular fluid aspirated from 37 follicles between 3 and 25 mm in diameter from 14 pairs of ovaries from regularly cycling women undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy for benign gynaecological disease was pooled into size categories (3 + 4, 5 + 6, 7 + 8, 9 + 10, 11 + 12, 14 + 15, 18 and 25 mm). These pools were bioassayed for GnSAF and inhibin-A, inhibin-B and activin-A concentrations were determined. RESULTS: Follicles of 5 + 6 mm diameter contained the highest concentrations of GnSAF bioactivity (reducing GnRH-induced LH secretion to 38 ± 8% of control, P < 0.001), while those of 25 mm diameter contained one quarter of this concentration (reducing GnRH-induced LH secretion to 72 ± 2% of control, P < 0.05). GnSAF bioactivity was closely related to follicle size (r = –0.836, P < 0.01), but not to inhibin-A, inhibin-B or activin-A concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that small follicles contain high concentrations of GnSAF bioactivity, which fall as folliculogenesis progresses during spontaneous cycles, support the hypothesis that GnSAF has a role in preventing the premature onset of the LH surge in women.
Key words: follicle size/GnRH/GnSAF/LH/spontaneous cycle
5 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: p.a.fowler{at}abdn.ac.uk
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