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Combination of FSH and testosterone could enhance activation of primordial follicles and growth of activated follicles in 1-day-old mice ovaries in vitro cultured for 12 days

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2024

Tahoura Torkzadeh ,
Zahra Asadi ,
Mohammad Jafari Atrabi ,
Maryam Khodadi ,
Farideh Eivazkhani ,
Samira Hajiaghalou ,
Vahid Akbarinejad Open the ORCID record for Vahid Akbarinejad [Opens in a new window]  and
Rouhollah Fathi Open the ORCID record for Rouhollah Fathi [Opens in a new window]
Tahoura Torkzadeh
Affiliation:
Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Asadi
Affiliation:
Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
Mohammad Jafari Atrabi
Affiliation:
Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research (DPZ), Göttingen, Germany
Maryam Khodadi
Affiliation:
Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Farideh Eivazkhani
Affiliation:
Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
Samira Hajiaghalou
Affiliation:
Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
Vahid Akbarinejad*
Affiliation:
Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Rouhollah Fathi*
Affiliation:
Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
*
Corresponding authors: Vahid Akbarinejad; Email: [email protected], Rouhollah Fathi; Email: [email protected]
Corresponding authors: Vahid Akbarinejad; Email: [email protected], Rouhollah Fathi; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Treatment with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T2) and their combination have been observed to be influential on ovarian follicles of 1-day-old mice ovaries cultured for 8 days. Given that extension of the culture period could positively impact the development of follicles in cultured ovaries, the present study was conducted to evaluate the main and interaction effects of FSH by T2 on the development of ovarian follicles in 1-day-old mice ovaries cultured for 12 days. One-day-old mice ovaries were initially cultured with base medium for 4 days; thereafter, different hormonal treatments were added to the culture media, and the culture was continued for 8 additional days until day 12. Ovaries were collected for histological and molecular assessments on day 12. The greatest activation of primordial follicles and progression of activated follicles to the preantral stage was detected in ovaries treated with the combination of FSH and T2 (P < 0.05). This positive effect on the morphology of ovarian follicles was accompanied by upregulation of Pi3k, Gdf9, Bmp15, Cx37 and Fshr in the ovaries cultured with the combination of FSH and T2 (P < 0.05). Nonetheless, treatment with FSH and T2 led to a diminished proportion of intact follicles (P < 0.05), even though Bax/Bcl2 gene expression ratio, as an apoptotic index, was less in hormone-treated ovaries (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the combination of FSH and T2 could improve the activation of primordial follicles and the growth of activated follicles towards the preantral stage. This positive effect of FSH plus T2 appeared to be at least partly mediated through the upregulation of Pi3k and oocyte-derived growth factors including Gdf9 and Bmp15.

Keywords

Assisted reproductive technologyFSH1-day-old mouse ovaryovarian follicle developmenttestosterone
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , February 2025 , pp. 1 - 9
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© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

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These authors equally contributed to the present study.

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