Human Reproduction, Vol. 16, No. 9, 1814-1818,
September 2001
© 2001 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Relationship of ovarian stimulation response with vascular endothelial growth factor and degree of granulosa cell apoptosis
1 Instituto de Ginecología y Fertilidad (IFER), Buenos Aires 1122 and 2 Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IByME)–CONICET, Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in follicular fluid and in granulosa cell cultures in relation to the degree of apoptosis in granulosa cells from patients with different types of ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. METHODS: We studied 30 women who underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and oocyte retrieval. Group A comprised patients with 1–4 follicles (n = 10), group B patients with 5–14 follicles (n = 10) and group C patients with >15 follicles (n = 10). RESULTS: Mean (±SD) VEGF concentrations in follicular fluid were 1232 ± 209, 813 ± 198 and 396 ± 103 pg/ml for groups A, B and C respectively (P > 0.01). Concentrations of VEGF in granulosa cell supernatant were 684 ± 316, 1101 ± 295 and 1596 ± 227 pg/ml respectively (P < 0.05). Percentages of apoptotic cells in granulosa cells culture was 55.02 ± 7.5, 23.98 ± 4.4 and 14.2 ± 2.3% respectively (A versus B, P < 0.01, A versus C, P < 0.006, B versus C, NS). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that in patients with decreased ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, follicular fluid VEGF concentration is elevated, the concentration from granulosa cells culture supernatant is decreased and the percentage of apoptotic granulosa cells is increased, while opposite findings occurred in patients with normal or hyper-responses.
Key words: apoptosis/controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)/granulosa cells (GC)/IVF/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ifer{at}velocom.com.ar
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A.J. Tozer, R.K. Iles, E. Iammarrone, C.M.Y. Gillott, T. Al-Shawaf, and J.G. Grudzinskas The effects of 'coasting' on follicular fluid concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor in women at risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2004; 19(3): 522 - 528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. J. Petrik, P. A. Gentry, J.-J. Feige, and J. LaMarre Expression and Localization of Thrombospondin-1 and -2 and Their Cell-Surface Receptor, CD36, During Rat Follicular Development and Formation of the Corpus Luteum Biol Reprod, November 1, 2002; 67(5): 1522 - 1531. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|