Gonadotropin induction of ovulation and corpus luteum formation in young estrogen receptor-alpha knockout mice.
Biol Reprod
; 62(3): 599-605, 2000 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10684800
ABSTRACT
Estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) knockout (ERalphaKO) female mice are infertile. Initially, they exhibit normal follicular development, but by 4-5 wk of age, they begin to develop hemorrhagic ovarian cysts. Follicles in adult ERalphaKO female mice progress to the graafian stage, but there are no corpora lutea (CL). To test whether ERalpha is required for ovarian folliculogenesis, ovulation, and CL formation, eCG and hCG were used to ovulate 3- to 5-wk-old ERalphaKO and wild-type (WT) sibling mice. Gonadotropin administration resulted in ovulation in both ERalphaKO and WT mice. Gonadotropin-treated ERalphaKO females that ovulated produced 7.09 +/- 0.77 oocytes per mouse, whereas gonadotropin-treated WT female mice had 16.17 +/- 0.84 oocytes. Surprisingly, ruptured ERalphaKO ovarian follicles developed into CL that had normal morphology. Gonadotropin-treated ERalphaKO mice had 3-fold higher concentrations of serum progesterone than did control ERalphaKO mice that had been administered saline rather than gonadotropins. Thus, the CL in gonadotropin-treated ERalphaKO mice appeared to be steroidogenically functional. On the basis of these findings, ovarian folliculogenesis, ovulation, and CL formation can occur in the absence of ERalpha, although to a lesser extent than in WT mice.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Indução da Ovulação
/
Receptores de Estrogênio
/
Corpo Lúteo
/
Gonadotropinas
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biol Reprod
Ano de publicação:
2000
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos