Follicular Fluid Androstenedione Research Articles

Relationship between Concentrations of Immunoreactive Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in Follicular Fluid and Various Biochemical Markers of Differentiation in Bovine Antral Follicles

Three experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in ovarian follicular fluid and various biochemical markers of follicular differentiation in bovine follicles. In Experiment I, ovaries were removed on Days 7, 14, 28, 42, or 56 after parturition from a total of 21 cows. In Experiment II, ovaries of 31 cows were removed between Days 20 and 30 postpartum after 48 or 96 h of either saline (0.9% NaCl, 5 ml) or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH, 500 ng/5 ml saline) injections given every 2 h via jugular cannulae. In Experiment III, ovaries of six cows were removed 48-50 h after a 35-mg injection of prostaglandin F2 alpha during the midluteal phase of an estrous cycle. In Experiments I and II, all follicles greater than or equal to 8.0 mm in diameter were removed from each ovary (n = 33 and 46, respectively). In Experiment III, fluid from all follicles greater than 4 mm in diameter were removed individually (n = 10), and fluid from follicles 1-4 mm in diameter were pooled for each cow. Follicles for each experiment were further categorized as either estrogen-active (E-A, concentration of estradiol greater than progesterone in follicular fluid) or estrogen-inactive (E-I, concentration of progesterone greater than estradiol in follicular fluid). Measurements of immunoreactive IGF-I (i-IGF-I) were made after separating IGFs from their binding proteins with an acid-ethanol extraction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alterations in follicular fluid steroids and follicular hCG and FSH binding during atresia in hamster.

Preovulatory follicles from hamsters treated on proestrus for 1-3 days with phenobarbital sodium exhibited early signs of atresia after 2-3 days of ovulatory delay. A significant increase in follicular fluid progesterone was evident by Day 1 of delay. Concentrations of androstenedione in follicular fluid were unaffected by ovulatory delay. Follicular fluid levels of estradiol in delayed follicles were either higher than proestrous values after 1 day of delay or lower after 2 and 3 days of delay. hCG binding was slightly higher than proestrous controls after ovulatory delay whereas FSH binding was significantly lower than controls after 2 and 3 days of ovulatory delay. These results indicate that in the barbiturate-treated hamster the elevated follicular fluid levels of progesterone precede by 1-2 days the previously reported increase in steroidogenic capability of delayed follicles to produce progesterone in vitro; this correlated with an increase in the ratio of hCG:FSH binding and this was mostly due to a decrease in FSH binding to whole follicles.

Follicular fluid steroid levels in dysmature and mature follicles from spontaneous and hyperstimulated cycles in normal and anovulatory women.

Follicular maturity and atresia have been defined previously, both hormonally and microscopically, in normal ovulatory women. Ovarian hyperstimulation with clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropins in normal women is carried out for the purpose of aspirating oocytes from several large follicles for in vitro fertilization. Alterations in follicular fluid (FF) hormone levels occur with hyperstimulation regimens, and some of these large follicles (greater than 18 mm) appear morphologically atretic. We have used the term dysmature to describe those large follicles that have an abnormal oocyte morphological appearance and cannot be fertilized in vitro. Mature follicles have been defined by their size, their oocyte morphological appearance, and their ability to be fertilized in vitro. FF from small (2-3 mm) and large (greater than 18 mm) mature and dysmature follicles were obtained from 10 untreated ovulatory women. Mature and dysmature follicles also were obtained from clomiphene and human menopausal gonadotropin-treated normal (n = 11) and anovulatory (n = 5) women. In untreated cycles, the FF steroid content of the small follicles characterized these follicles to be atretic. FF from dysmature follicles from spontaneous untreated cycles had higher concentrations of dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol, and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) and lower progesterone (Prog) and Prog to E2 ratios (P less than 0.05). Compared to mature follicles from untreated patients, hyperstimulated mature follicles from ovulatory women had higher FF E2 concentrations and lower Prog to E2 ratios (P less than 0.05). In ovulatory patients, the FF concentrations of testosterone were higher and FF Prog and Prog to E2 ratios were lower (P less than 0.05) in the dysmature than in the mature follicles. Mature follicles from hyperstimulated ovulatory patients and those from hyperstimulated anovulatory patients were similar except for lower FF Prog, higher FF E2, and lower Prog to E2 ratios in the anovulatory group. Dysmature follicles from hyperstimulated anovulatory patients had lower FF androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone, but were generally similar to mature follicles. The percentages of dysmature follicles occurring among all large (greater than 18 mm) follicles that were aspirated were similar in ovulatory (34%) and anovulatory (45%) patients. FF steroid concentrations did not correlate with serum levels of testosterone and E2 at the time of follicle aspiration in any patient group. In conclusion, FF androgen concentrations in hyperstimulated follicles were unrelated to morphological maturity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Correlation of human follicular fluid inhibin activity with spontaneous and induced follicle maturation.

We sought to correlate the inhibin activity of individual ovarian follicles (greater than 16 mm in diameter) from untreated (7 patients; 7 follicles), clomiphene-stimulated (150 mg/day; menstrual cycle days 5-9; 9 patients, 14 follicles), and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG)-stimulated (150 IU/day; menstrual cycle days 3-11; 8 patients; 23 follicles) ovarian cycles and to correlate these results with the follicular fluid (FF) steroid concentration. Follicular aspirates were obtained via laparoscopy from 24 regularly menstruating patients when the diameter of the largest follicle reached 20 mm, as determined by serial ultrasonography. FF concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and androstenedione were determined by RIA. Inhibin activity was determined using the inhibition of basal 24-h FSH secretion by dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells. Inhibin values were highest among the follicles aspirated from those patients who received hMG [277 +/- 31 (+/- SE) U/ml] compared to untreated subjects (51 +/- 13 U/ml) or those who received clomiphene (96 +/- 14 U/ml). Estradiol was highest in FF from untreated patients (2295 +/- 1155 ng/ml) compared to levels in patients who received hMG (368 +/- 1.76 micrograms/ml) or clomiphene (1049 +/- 174 ng/ml). FF progesterone values were highest in untreated patients (9.4 +/- 2.59 micrograms/ml) compared to those in hMG-treated (5.04 +/- 1.76 micrograms/ml) and clomiphene-treated patients (7.82 +/- 1.24 ng/ml). FF 17-hydroxyprogesterone values (7.82 +/- 1.24 ng/ml). FF 17-hydroxyprogesterone values were similarly higher in the untreated (1.55 +/- 0.21 micrograms/ml) and clomiphene-treated (2.54 +/- 0.27 micrograms/ml) patients than in the hMG-treated group (0.73 +/- 0.09 micrograms/ml). FF androstenedione (untreated, 50.7 +/- 30 ng/ml; clomiphene-treated, 73.4 +/- 23.4 ng/ml; hMG-treated, 60.2 +/- 19.8 ng/ml) and testosterone (6.66 +/- 2.45, 5.98 +/- 1.46, and 6.39 +/- 2.16 ng/ml, respectively) concentrations in all three patient groups were similar. In untreated patients, there was a highly significant positive correlation between intrafollicular inhibin activity and FF estradiol, testosterone, and androstenedione concentrations and a statistically significant negative correlation between intrafollicular inhibin activity and FF progesterone concentrations. Patients receiving clomiphene therapy demonstrated at least two different response patterns, one with a positive and one a negative correlation between intrafollicular inhibin activity and FF steroid concentrations. The patients receiving hMG therapy had no statistically significant correlation between intrafollicular inhibin

Estradiol, testosterone, and androstenedione in ovine follicular fluid during growth and atresia of ovarian follicles.

Measurement of estradiol-17β, testosterone, and androstenedione in follicular fluid obtained from groups of antral follicles of known diameter and stage of morphological atresia indicates two phases of steroidogenesis during nonatretic growth. In pools of fluid obtained from follicles of 1 to 3 mm diameter, a transient fourfold increase in testosterone concentrations from 99 to 420 nM was observed soon after antrum formation, whereas concentrations of androstenedione and estradiol-17β ranged from 4 to 16 and 10 to 47 nM, respectively. In the pooled fluid of nonatretic follicles of greater than 3 mm diameter, concentrations of estradiol-17β exceeded that of either testosterone or androstenedione, and increased from 9 to 341 nM as follicular diameter increased. Testosterone concentrations progressively decreased from 247 to 56 nM, and the concentration of androstenedione decreased from 22 to 7 nM as follicular diameter increased beyond 3 mm. Concentrations of all three steroids in pools of fluid from early atretic follicles were not significantly different from those of nonatretic follicles, but in the later stages of atresia concentrations of testosterone remained elevated and those of estradiol stayed low at all stages of growth. Data obtained from individual follicles confirmed the initial finding that a reduction in the ratio of estrogen to total follicular androgen in pools of follicular fluid was associated with atresia of all sizes of follicles. We propose that the changes in patterns of steroidogenesis which accompany atresia reflect some of the earliest changes in the functional capacity of follicles undergoing atresia, but are not necessarily the primary cause of atresia.

Concentration of oestrogens and androgens in human ovarian venous plasma and follicular fluid throughout the menstrual cycle.

The concentrations of androstenedione, testosterone, oestrone and oestradiol-17beta were measured in peripheral and ovarian venous blood and follicular fluid of women at various stages of the menstrual cycle. The concentration of oestradiol was similar in small follicles (diameter less than 8 mm) at all stages of the menstrual cycle and in large follicles (diameter greater than or equal to 8 mm) except during the mid- and late follicular phase when the concentration reached a peak (approximately 1500 ng/ml). The concentration of androstenedione was lowest in large preovulatory follicles at midcycle at a time when the secretion into the ovarian vein was markedly increased. The concentration of testosterone in large follicles (greater than or equal to 8 mm) was unchanged during the follicular phase whereas in small follicles there was a peak at mid-cycle. The rise in the concentration of testosterone and androstenedione at mid-cycle in peripheral plasma may be due to increased secretion by the preovulatory follicle into the ovarian vein. It is suggested that the relatively low concentration of androstenedione in follicular fluid of the preovulatory follicle arises from increased aromatization by granulosa cells in the course of oestrogen synthesis.