Regulatory mechanisms of ovulation by estrogen

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460315
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Toda Katsumi 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系基礎医学部門, 准教授 (40197893)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: エストロゲン / 遺伝子改変マウス / アロマターゼ / 排卵

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Estrogen is an essential steroid hormone for ovulatory induction. Regulatory mechanisms underlying ovulatory induction were analyzed using estrogen deficient (ArKO) mice. Responsiveness of ArKO ovaries to follicle stimulating hormone was significantly lower than that of wild-type (WT) ovaries. This was, in part, attributable to high amounts of cAMP content in ArKO ovaries prior to stimulation of the hormone, compared to that in the WT ovaries. The present study also demonstrated that co-administration of insulin with LH to 17beta-estradiol/FSH-primed ArKO mice significantly improve ovulatory rate than the rate observed in the mice stimulated with LH alone. These results indicate that estrogen keeps cAMP content at a low level before FSH stimulation and the sensitivity to insulin to be high in order to response properly to ovulatory stimulations.

Free Research Field

生化学