1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Ovulation and atretic mechanism of ovarian follicles in mice : a morphological study.
| Project/Area Number |
10670003
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
General anatomy (including Histology/Embryology)
|
|---|
| Research Institution | YAMAGATA UNIVERSITY |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
WATANABE Hiroshi Sch. Of Med., Yamagata Univ. Professor, 医学部, 教授 (80004662)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
1998 – 1999
|
| Keywords | mouse ovary / atresia / apoptosis / granulosa cells / macrophage / immunohitochemistry |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
The purpose of this study is to clarify the incidence of apoptosis on the granulosa cells in the spontaneous estrous cycle by a complete serial semi-thin section, TEM and immunohistochemical techniques.
Preovulatory mature follicles were characterized by their larger size (about 0.6mm in diameter), solitary distribution of individual granulosa cells, and by the increased capillary networks surrounding them. Apoptotic granulosa cells (26 to 110 cells) appeared in all six of the completely examined preovulatory mature follicles.
In the atretic follicles, apoptotic cells appeared more frequently, and were phagocytosed by healthy granulosa cells. The apoptotic and phagocytotic mechanism of granulosa cells may eventually eliminate the atretic follicles.
To confirm the lack of involvement of macrophages in the process of follicular atresia and elimination, specially prepare ovarian cryo-sections were incubated with antimouse macrophase monoclonal antibodies. Atretic follicles may shrink and eventually disappear from the ovary as a result of repeated apoptosis and phagocytosis by granulosa cells. There is no evidence for the presence or involvement of macrophages in the atretic follicles, at least in mice as examined.
|
