have direct contact with the oviductal fluid, which is generated by the transudate fluid from the systematic circulation and the secretory epithelial cells of the oviduct ( Leese 1988 ). The fluid current is generated by ciliated epithelial cells and
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H. HELLER, D. H. G. LEATHERS, and G. J. LANE
It has been shown by now that the oviduct of birds, reptiles and amphibians in vitro gives a contractile reponse to low concentrations of neurohypophysial hormones (for references see Heller, Ferreri & Leathers, 1970). Fishes have been little investigated but it could be shown that the oviduct of some oviparous teleosts and the ovaries of certain ovoviviparous bony fishes are stimulated by vasotocin, ichthyotocin and oxytocin (Heller & Leathers, 1969). Attempts (Dreyer, 1946; Perks, 1959; Dodd, Perks & Dodd, 1966) to demonstrate effects of elasmobranch pituitary extracts or oxytocin on elasmobranch oviducts in vitro were unsuccessful because of persistent, strong, spontaneous contractions. Further experiments on elasmobranch oviducts seemed indicated because of (1) the positive results obtained in the other classes of cold-blooded vertebrates, (2) the possibility of finding a more suitable suspension fluid, (3) the availablity of purified elasmobranch neurohypophysial principles, and (4) a more sensitive method of recording (see
E. T. BELL and S. F. LUNN
SUMMARY
The effect of the administration of 25 i.u. human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) on the induction of ovulation in intact immature rats treated with 50 i.u. pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) has been studied.
After the administration of HCG a marked increase in ovarian wet weight was observed. The maximum increase, which occurred 10 hr. after hormone treatment, was noted 2 hr. before ova were found in the oviducts.
The alteration in ovarian wet weight was associated with a fall in percentage solids. However, it appears likely that an increase both in follicular fluid and in cell mass occurred before ovulation. Possible reasons for the absence of any marked effect on uterine wet weight or percentage solids are discussed.
Linah Al-Alem, Phillip J Bridges, Wen Su, Ming C Gong, Marc Iglarz, and CheMyong Ko
with the COC and follicular fluid at the time of ovulation, (3) that the COC itself may be a source of EDN2, and (4) the contractile properties of the oviduct, we hypothesized that granulosa cell or COC-produced EDN2 binding to a specific endothelin
CY Andersen
The so-called free hormone hypothesis predicts that the biological activity of a given steroid correlates with the free protein-unbound concentration rather than with the total concentration (i.e. free plus protein-bound). Cortisol is a glucocorticoid with many diverse functions and the free hormone hypothesis seems to apply well to the observed effects of cortisol. The ovaries express glucocorticoid receptors and are affected by cortisol, but lack the necessary enzymes for cortisol synthesis. Ovarian follicles modulate the biological activity of cortisol by (1) follicular production of especially progesterone and 17 alpha-hydroxy-progesterone which, within the follicle, reach levels that displace cortisol from its binding proteins, in particular, cortisol-binding protein, making it available for biological action and (2) a developmental regulated expression of two types of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (i.e. 11 beta-HSD type 1 and type 2), which oppose the action of one another, the 11 beta-HSD type 2 predominantly inactivating cortisol to cortisone, while 11 beta-HSD type 1 reverses this reaction. As a result, a high concentration of cortisol available for biological action is present in the preovulatory follicle just prior to ovulation and it has been suggested that cortisol may function to reduce the inflammatory-like reactions occurring in connection with ovulation. This paper suggests (1) that the function of the oviduct is also affected by the high levels of free cortisol released in preovulatory follicular fluid at ovulation and (2) that formation and function of the corpus luteum benefits from a high local concentration of free cortisol, whereas the surrounding developing follicles may experience negative effects. If this hypothesis proves correct it may describe a new physiological mechanism by which cortisol interacts with the female reproductive organs, showing that the biologically active concentration of a steroid locally can be regulated to serve specific functions.
Simone Odau, Christoph Gabler, Christoph Holder, and Ralf Einspanier
that higher PLA 2 activity in oviductal epithelium was measured in estradiol-treated rabbits compared with the control ( Morishita et al. 1993 ). PLA 2 activity was observed in bovine oviductal fluid with the highest PLA 2 activity in the
Stefan Cuoni Teilmann, Christian Alexandro Clement, Jørgen Thorup, Anne Grete Byskov, and Søren Tvorup Christensen
results support the conclusion that ciliary PR is important during transport of the cumulus-oocyte complex, since cumulus cells secrete progesterone to the oviductal fluid. In protein samples from whole infundibulum tissue, PR-A and PR
Meijia Zhang, Haiyan Hong, Bo Zhou, Shiying Jin, Chao Wang, Maoyong Fu, Songbo Wang, and Guoliang Xia
al. 1988 ), ovary and follicular fluid ( Anderson et al. 1994 ), granulosa cells ( Kim et al. 1992 , Ivanova et al. 2003 ), oocytes ( Kim et al. 1993 ), oviduct ( Kim et al. 1997 ), testis ( Pelletier 1988 ), and spermatozoa ( Silvestroni
Karine Reynaud, Sylvie Chastant-Maillard, Séverine Batard, Sandra Thoumire, and Philippe Monget
Committee of the National Veterinary School of Alfort. Follicular fluid collection Ovariectomies were performed during follicular phase using a conventional surgical procedure ( Fingland 1998 ). Ovarian bursa (with ovaries, oviducts and the tip of the
G Basini, S Bussolati, S E Santini, F Bianchi, M Careri, A Mangia, M Musci, and F Grasselli
fluid collected from follicles at different stages of development. Thereafter, the effects of both hydroxyestrogens on VEGFA production from swine granulosa cell were studied. In addition, using an angiogenesis bioassay developed in our laboratory