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PubMed2001

Increase in nerve fibers and loss of mast cells in polycystic and postmenopausal ovaries.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify nerve fibers and mast cells in human ovaries at different functional stages. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Research laboratory of the university. SPECIMEN(S): 8 human ovaries in the follicular (cyclic) phase, 7 polycystic ovaries, and postmenopausal ovaries with (n=5) or without (n=7) hyperthecosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Single- and double immunohistology for the S100 antigen in glial cells of autonomic nerve fibers, for chymase and tryptase in mast cells, and for the common leukocyte antigen on leukocytes. Histometric evaluation was also performed. INTERVENTION(S): None. RESULT(S): Polycystic ovaries contained significantly more S100-positive nerve fibers in the corticomedullary region than did cyclic ovaries (mean +/- SD per 2-mm(2) area, 476 +/- 136 and 224 +/- 133; P<.01). Postmenopausal ovaries with or without hyperthecosis had the highest density of nerve fibers. In cyclic and polycystic ovaries, more tryptase-positive mast cells than chymase-positive mast cells were found in the interstitial cortex and the medulla. In cyclic ovaries, areas with a moderate density of nerve fibers contained many mast cells. Hence, with increasing nerve fiber density in polycystic ovaries, the number of mast cells decreased strikingly compared with cyclic ovaries (p<.001). Almost no mast cells were seen in postmenopausal ovaries with and without hyperthecosis. The number of leukocyte antigen-positive leukocytes was similar in all groups. CONCLUSION(S): The high density of nerve fibers in polycystic and postmenopausal ovaries, together with a conspicuous decrease in mast cells, indicates altered neuroimmune communication.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Characterization of normal and polycystic ovaries using three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the characteristics of polycystic compared to normal ovaries using three-dimensional (3-D) power Doppler ultrasonography. METHODS: We recruited 42 volunteers, all of whom were commencing IVF treatment. Each patient was examined in the cycle preceeding the start of drug therapy during the late follicular phase. If eight or more subcapsular follicles of 2-8 mm in diameter in one two-dimensional (2-D) plane were detected in either of the ovaries, the patient was categorized as having polycystic ovaries (PCO); otherwise the ovaries were considered normal. The parameters examined were volume of the ovary, vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), vascularization flow index (VFI), and mean greyness (MG). In addition, the ovary was arbitrarily divided into cortex and stroma, and thereafter volume, VI, FI, VFI, and MG were calculated for these two regions. RESULTS: Twenty-eight women had normal ovaries and 14 had PCO. The comparison between normal and PCO showed that as a group the PCO were larger, without any differences in VI, Fl, VFI, or MG. In patients with PCO, the right ovary was larger than the left one. In patients with normal ovaries, Fl was higher on the left side. Division into cortex and stroma revealed that there were no differences in cortical or stromal VI, FI, VFI, or MG between normal and PCO on either side. CONCLUSIONS: The ovaries defined as polycystic were larger than normal ovaries, but there was no difference in the echogenicity of the stroma between polycystic and normal ovaries. We were also unable to demonstrate that the polycystic ovarian stroma was more vascularized than the stroma in the normal ovaries.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Endometrial phospholipases A2, polycystic ovaries and pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the activity of calcium independent phospholipase A2 in the endometrium of women with polycystic ovaries and in women with normal ovaries, and to investigate the influence of chronic pelvic pain on phospholipase A2 activity. DESIGN: A prospective descriptive study. SETTING: The Samaritan Hospital for Women and the Unit of Metabolic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London. SUBJECTS: 73 women attending the Samaritan Hospital for Women for clip sterilization, infertility, early recurrent miscarriage or pelvic venous congestion. 45 of these women had no pelvic pain, 22 had normal ovaries and 23 had polycystic ovaries diagnosed by ultrasound. The other 28 women had chronic pelvic pain, 14 of them had normal ovaries and 14 polycystic ovaries. INTERVENTIONS: Endometrial tissue was obtained at curettage or from the excised uterus in the proliferative or secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. The activities of calcium dependent (type 1) and calcium independent (type 2) phospholipase A2 isoenzymes were measured in all endometrial samples. RESULTS: In all the women phospholipase A2 type 1 activity, was significantly higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase (P less than 0.001). There was no difference between women with normal ovaries and those with polycystic ovaries at either stage of the cycle irrespective of whether or not chronic pelvic venous congestion was present. In women with normal ovaries, both with and without chronic pelvic pain, phospholipase A2 type 2 activity was significantly higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase (P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.05 respectively) but in women with polycystic ovaries, with and without chronic pelvic pain, there was no significant difference in activity between the two phases of the cycle. Women with polycystic ovaries had markedly higher proliferative phase type 2 activity than women with normal ovaries (P less than 0.001). Secretory phase type 2 activity was similar in all the women investigated. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that phospholipase A2 type 2 activity is increased in proliferative phase endometrium of women with polycystic ovaries but that the increase is not associated with chronic pelvic venous congestion.

Arachidonic Acid↗
PubMed2005

Effects of ovary storage time and temperature on DNA fragmentation and development of porcine oocytes.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of storage time and temperature of porcine ovaries on the quality and nuclear maturation in vitro of oocytes obtained from stored ovaries and their subsequent development after in vitro fertilization. The ovaries were stored in physiological saline for 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 h at various temperatures (4, 15, 25 and 35 C). The pH of follicular fluid obtained from the ovaries, DNA fragmentation of the oocyte nucleus and meiotic competence of oocytes were examined. Some oocytes from ovaries stored at 15, 25 and 35 C for 6 h were fertilized in vitro, and then cultured for 7 days to examine the ability of embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage. When the ovaries were stored at 35 C, the pH of follicular fluid decreased and the proportions of oocytes with DNA fragmented nuclei increased as the storage time was prolonged, and the storage of ovaries for 6, 9 and 12 h resulted in lower maturation rates of oocytes. When the ovaries were stored at 4, 15, 25 and 35 C for 6 h, the storage at higher temperatures (> or =15 C) decreased the pH of follicular fluid and induced nucleic DNA fragmentation in higher proportions of oocytes. None of the oocytes from ovaries stored at 4 C reached metaphase II. The storage of ovaries at 15 C reduced the rates of in vitro fertilized oocytes and subsequent embryo development, but there were no significant differences in the rates of fertilization and blastocyst formation between oocytes from ovaries stored at 25 C and 35 C. Our findings indicate that the storage of ovaries at 25-35 C for 6 h is effective for maintaining the developmental competence of porcine oocytes even though the development rates were lower than those of ovaries stored at 35 C for 3 h.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

[Clinical characteristics of clear cell carcinoma of the ovary].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics of clear cell carcinoma of the ovary. METHODS: Forty three patients with clear cell carcinoma of the ovary and 51 patients with serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary who were admitted in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 1984 to 2000 were analyzed retrospectively, and their chemosensitivities and the survival rates were compared. RESULTS: The percentage of early stage patients in the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary and the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary was 14.4% and 3.8% respectively, the difference was significant (P < 0.005). In the late stage patients who underwent satisfactory cytoreductive surgery, the chemo-resistant rate (88.9%) in the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary was significantly higher than that (57.1%) of the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary (P < 0.02), the 1-year survival rate (79.0%) in the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary was significantly lower than that (96.2%) of the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary (P < 0.01). In the late stage patients who underwent unsatisfactory cytoreductive surgery, the chemo-resistant rate and the survival rate had no significant difference between the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary and the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There are more early stage patients with clear cell carcinoma of the ovary. We should conduct auxiliary therapy and close follow up to them after surgery. Clear cell carcinoma of the ovary is chemo-resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy and has poor prognosis.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell↗
PubMed1996

Polycystic ovaries in pre and post-menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovaries have been diagnosed in more than 20% of premenopausal women using ultrasound. The aim of this study was to determine whether polycystic ovaries exist in post-menopausal women. DESIGN: Two groups of women were studied; group 1 consisted of 18 post-menopausal volunteers and group 2 comprised 142 women, 94 of whom were post-menopausal who had recently undergone coronary angiography. MEASUREMENTS: Transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound scans were performed and measurements made of uterine area, endometrial thickness and ovarian volume. The morphological appearance of the ovaries was also noted. Fasting blood samples were taken. Medical and menstrual questionnaires were completed. RESULTS: Polycystic ovaries were found in 8/18 (44%) of group 1 and 60/142 (42%) in group 2. Polycystic ovaries were detected in 35/94 (37%) of the post-menopausal women in group 2. Post-menopausal women with polycystic ovaries had larger ovaries containing more follicles compared with post-menopausal women with normal ovaries. Post-menopausal women with polycystic ovaries had higher serum concentrations of testosterone and triglycerides than had post-menopausal women with normal ovaries. CONCLUSIONS: Polycystic ovaries can be detected in post-menopausal women and have some of the same endocrine abnormalities which are evident in premenopausal women with polycystic ovaries, that is, raised serum concentrations of testosterone and triglycerides.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Anti-müllerian hormone protein expression is reduced during the initial stages of follicle development in human polycystic ovaries.

CONTEXT: Polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common cause of anovulatory infertility, is characterized by disordered folliculogenesis, notably increased progression from the primordial to the primary stages. This ovarian phenotype is similar to that observed in mice lacking anti-müllerian hormone (AMH). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate whether AMH is involved in accelerating the transition of follicles from primordial to primary stages in polycystic ovaries. DESIGN: This study compares AMH expression in archive tissue from normal and polycystic ovaries. SETTING: This is a laboratory-based study. PATIENTS: Ovarian tissue from seven normoovulatory women and 16 women with polycystic ovaries (five of whom were anovulatory) was used in this study. Ovaries were classified by histology and with reference to menstrual cycle history and ultrasound. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Presence and intensity of AMH expression in 1403 follicles was the main outcome measure. RESULTS: AMH was observed from the primordial stage onward. AMH immunostaining was observed in significantly fewer primordial (P = 0.007) and transitional follicles (P = 0.001) in ovaries from anovulatory women with polycystic ovaries compared with women with regular cycles and either normal or polycystic ovaries. AMH-negative follicles had fewer pregranulosa cells in the largest cross-section of the follicle at both the primordial (median, four and six for AMH-negative and -positive follicles, respectively; P < 0.0001) and transitional stages (median six and nine; P < 0.0007) in normal tissue, and fewer at the transitional stage (median, seven and 11; P < 0.0001) in tissue from anovulatory women with polycystic ovaries. This suggests that AMH expression is associated with granulosa cell mitosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate a relative deficiency of AMH in primordial and transitional follicles in ovaries from anovulatory women with polycystic ovaries. This may contribute to disordered early follicle development in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Sonographic visualization of normal-size ovaries during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of ultrasound to detect ovaries of normal size during pregnancy METHODS: A prospective study of 329 women with a normal pregnancy course was undertaken; 68 were excluded from analysis because of an enlarged, cystic ovary. Of the remainder, 60 pregnancies were examined in the first trimester and 201 in the second or third trimester. The first group underwent transvaginal (TVS) and transabdominal (TAS) scanning. The second group underwent TAS examination only. RESULTS: In the first-trimester group, TVS identified both ovaries in 57 patients (95%) and transabdominal ultrasound in 20 (33.3%). In the second- and third-trimester patients, TAS visualized both ovaries in 33 patients (16.4%), and neither ovary in 120 (59.7%). Both ovaries were less visible with advancing gestational age. The right ovary showed a significant change in position during pregnancy, from about 1 cm (at 15-24 weeks) to 2.5 cm (at 30-41 weeks) cranial to the iliac spine. The left ovary was found 1 cm above the iliac spine throughout pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Transvaginal sonography is adequate for the visualization of both ovaries in the first trimester of pregnancy. With advanced gestational age, the ovaries were significantly less visible by TAS. Sonographic scanning of the ovaries in second and third trimester should be concentrated mainly at the level of the iliac spine. Poor sonographic visualization of both ovaries in late gestation may mandate the use of other imaging modalities.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2006

Size and location of the fetal human ovary.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the development and the localization of the ovaries during the fetal period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty-four ovaries obtained from 77 human fetuses aged between 9 and 40 weeks of gestation were used in this study. Firstly, the shapes and the positions of the ovaries were established. Second, the localization of the ovaries with respect to linea terminalis, ureters, and the iliac arteries were determined. Finally, the dimensions and the weight of the ovaries were measured. FINDINGS: In the fetal period, the ovaries were most commonly almond shaped and had an oblique orientation. In the 1st trimester the midpoint of the long axis of the fetal ovaries were at the level of linea terminalis. In the 2nd and 3rd trimester and full-term fetuses, it was observed that the ovaries were not in ovarian fossa, suggesting that descensus ovary was in progression during these times. During the intrauterine period, the ovaries were most commonly located anterior to the ureters and over the common iliac artery, only to migrate to its final location between the internal and external iliac arteries towards the end of the 40th week. CONCLUSION: We found that the ovaries did not assume the position of the adults at the end of the fetal period, rather continued its descent after the birth. We believe our findings about the fetal ovaries will be useful in obstetrics, fetal pathology, and forensic pathology.

Female↗
PubMed1992

Partial characterization of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene transcript in the rat ovary.

It has been hypothesized that GnRH or a GnRH-like peptide is produced in the rat ovary, but the presence of GnRH in the ovary has not been unequivocally demonstrated. This study was undertaken to determine whether the GnRH gene is expressed in the rat ovary and to compare the GnRH gene transcripts from the ovary and the hypothalamus. Twelve samples of total RNA from ovaries of individual rats were screened by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the presence of GnRH gene transcripts. Fragments of GnRH cDNA were amplified using pairs of specific primers. GnRH transcripts were detected in all the ovaries examined, and differed from hypothalamic GnRH transcripts in two ways: first, in the ovaries a greater proportion of GnRH transcripts contained intronic sequences; second, the major transcription start utilized in the ovary differed from that used in the hypothalamus. Although fully processed GnRH gene transcripts were detected by RT-PCR in both, ovary and hypothalamus, they were not detected in the ovary by Northern blot. The GnRH probe hybridized specifically to the predicted 0.6 kb transcript in the hypothalamus, and to a 3.3 kb transcript in the ovary. We conclude that in the ovary, most GnRH gene transcripts retain intronic sequences.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Granulosa cells of the chick ovary: evolution studied during embryo development].

The ovary of the chick embryo starts differentiation from the 7th day of development. The left ovary grows progressively, whereas the right one undergoes involution. With the purpose of determining the degree of regression of the right ovary in relation to the diverse types of granular cells that form it, an ultrastructural study was made of embryonic ovaries of 7, 11, 15 and 19 days old. Three types of granular cells are described: A cells, similar to granulocytes, with phagocytic functions, B cells with semi-dense granules and functionally active C cells with granules of low electronic density. During development, A cells remain in the right ovary until 19 days. Nevertheless, there is not an increase in their amount in the involuting ovary. B cells diminish in the right ovary from 7 to 19 days; however, no modifications are found in the left ovary. These cells are considered precursors of the C cells due to the transition forms found in both cell types. C cells are seen in similar proportions in both ovaries at all the embryonic stages studied. It is important to note that there is a difference in the mechanism of hormonal induction at the level of these cells in the ovary that progresses as compared to the one that undergoes atrophy. Precursor B cells would be destroyed in the right ovary before undergoing a complete functional differentiation. These observations would indicate that both B and C cells are involved in the hormonal control of differentiation and estrogen secretion in both ovaries. With respect to type A cells, further studies are needed to establish their function.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

[Biometric parameters of ovaries in the Tsigai strain of sheep and their changes after administration of cloprostenol].

The weight, length, width and volume of ovaries were determined as well as the number of follicles visible on the surface in relation to the presence of corpus luteum on the ovary in autumn period after Cloprostenol application. The ovaries of 43 sheep of the Tsigai breed were examined at the age of 2--4 years. The animals were divided into five groups. First group (I) was the control (n = 6). In the luteal phase of sexual cycle the animals of groups II to V were applied i. m. 125 micrograms of cloprostenol in Oestrophan inf. Spofa preparation. According to groups II (n = 8), III (n = 10), IV (n = 9), V (n = 10) the animals were killed at intervals of 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours (h) from the preparation application. The removed ovaries were fixed in 10% neutral formalin; after a 48-hour fixation they were weighed and their length and width were measured. Tertiary follicles visible on the surface were counted and measured. In group I we demonstrated the significantly higher weight of ovaries with corpus luteum (CL) as compared with ovaries without CL (P less than 0.001). The weight of ovaries with CL dropped significantly within 48 hours after cloprostenol application as compared with control (P less than 0.001) and the difference in the ovary weight according to CL incidence disappeared almost completely. In comparison with groups III and IV, the weight of ovaries in ewes of group V increased statistically significantly (P less than 0.01) on 5th day from the cloprostenol application. This finding is a result of development of new CL after a passed ovulation. The alterations in length, width and volume of ovaries were not so significant as those in weight. The number of surface follicles was very variable and the changes were not significant. The changes in the average size of follicles larger than 1 mm and of the largest follicles have shown that both parameters achieved significantly higher values in ovaries of the control group with present CL in comparison with ovaries without CL. The reduction of surface follicles after cloprostenol application seems to be connected with a possible operation on contractile structures of the external theca folliculi.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

The irreducible ovary: a true emergency.

The management of a child with an irreducible ovary remains inconsistent in pediatric surgical centers. An informal survey of senior pediatric surgeons and an extensive review of the literature showed a prevailing view that the trapped ovary is not at significant risk of vascular compromise. Two recent cases prompted a review of our experience from 1984 to 1989, during which 1,699 children with inguinal hernias underwent operation, 386 (23%) of whom were girls. Fifteen girls (4%) had irreducible ovaries present at the time of operation and in 4 of the 15 (27%) the ovary was twisted and infarcted. Two of the 4 girls were known to have an irreducible ovary prior to the day of operation--1 was noted 2 months earlier and 1 was noted 1 month earlier. At the time of the initial diagnosis, neither patient had physical findings of vascular compromise of the ovary. In the other two girls, evidence of an infarcted ovary was present when the hernia was first diagnosed and an emergency operation was performed. A 27% incidence of torsion and strangulation of irreducible ovaries appears to be high, but reports of strangulated ovaries have been reported in 2% to 33% of other series. The normal anatomy is altered when an ovary is trapped in a hernia sac, and these changes make torsion more likely. Although an irreducible ovary is not at great risk of compression of its blood supply, this report identifies a significant risk of torsion. This risk warrants treating the asymptomatic irreducible ovary as any other incarcerated hernia--as a true emergency.

Emergencies↗
PubMed2005

Imaging and quantifying carbohydrate transport to the developing ovaries of maize.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Shade or inadequate water can inhibit photosynthesis and limit the development of maize (Zea mays) ovaries around the time of pollination, potentially reducing the number of kernels at harvest. This study investigated whether the decreased photosynthesis diminished only the sugar supply or also altered the transport path to the ovaries. METHODS: Photosynthesis and water potentials (Psiw) were measured in the leaves while dry matter delivery was monitored in the ovaries. Ovary glucose, starch and acid invertase activities were measured in situ. Stems were fed xylem-mobile safranin or phloem-mobile carboxyfluorescein (CF), and the dye transport to the ovaries was determined. KEY RESULTS: Under normal conditions, the ovaries gained in dry mass, and starch accumulated in the pedicel and ovary wall. Glucose accumulated in the pedicel, apparently in the apoplast where insoluble (cell-wall-bound) acid invertase acted on the arriving sucrose. A glucose gradient developed from pedicel to nucellus. Safranin moved in the xylem and did not reach the ovary, but CF moved in the phloem and arrived at the ovary. CF also spread into the pedicel but unlike glucose it did not enter the nucellus. Low Psiw or shade decreased leaf photosynthesis, ovary dry mass accumulation, invertase activities, pedicel glucose, starch accumulation and CF delivery. Removal of these treatments reversed the effects. CONCLUSIONS: The success of CF in tracing the general path and rate of carbohydrate transport gave visual evidence that phloem transport to the ovary decreased at low Psiw or in the shade but otherwise remained functional. The decreases indicated that losses in carbohydrate delivery are central features of failed ovary development under these conditions. The selectivity of transport into the nucellus resembled the situation later when embryo and endosperm are present and selective uptake occurs from the apoplast.

Acids↗
PubMed2006

[Effects of estradiol intervention on peripheral blood CD90+ cells and cardiac function in de-ovary rats before and after myocardial infarction].

AIM: To investigate the effects of estradiol intervention on peripheral blood CD90+ cells and cardiac function in de-ovary rats before and after myocardial infarction. METHODS: Thirty SD female rats were divided into the control group, acute myocardial infarction group, de-ovary myocardial infarction group, de-ovary replacement group with estradiol, and de-ovary therapy group with estradiol. CD90+ cell percentage was determined with flow cytometry. The left ventricle end systolic pressure (LVESP), left ventricle end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), +dp/dt(max) and -dp/dt(max) were also measured with the POWERLAB4.12 system. RESULTS: The percentage of peripheral blood CD90+ cells in the de-ovary myocardial infarction group was remarkably lower than that in the acute myocardial infarction group and the de-ovary replacement group with estradiol (P<0.01). In the de-ovary replacement group with estradiol, the percentage of peripheral blood CD90+ cells was remarkably elevated following the first day of operation (P<0.05), reaching the peak value at day 3. In the de-ovary therapy group with estradiol, it started to elevate at day 7 after the operation, much lower than that in the de-ovary replacement group with estradiol. LVESP in each operation group decreased, especially in the acute myocardial infarction group, whereas LVEDP increased in the de-ovary group and de-ovary therapy group with estradiol (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Replacement with estradiol before myocardial infarction exerts more beneficial effects than estradiol replacement after myocardial infarction in de-ovary rats.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Expression of insulin-receptor substrate-1 and -2 in ovaries from women with insulin resistance and from controls.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of insulin-receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and -2 in ovary dysfunction in women with insulin resistance. DESIGN: Immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analyses of the localization and staining intensity of IRS-1 and IRS-2 in the ovaries of women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and gestational diabetes mellitus. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Turku University Central Hospital. PATIENT(S): Sections of ovary were obtained at the time of cesarean section from five volunteers without medical complications and three patients with gestational diabetes mellitus. Paraffin-embedded ovary sections were selected from those on file from the department of pathology; four were from women with a histologic diagnosis of PCOS and seven were from women with endometriosis (controls). INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Protein expression of IRS in human ovary samples. RESULT(S): Immunoblotting with specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies showed the presence of 165-kDa and 183-kDa proteins that corresponded to the size of IRS-1 and IRS-2, respectively, in normal pregnant ovaries and human cultured follicles. Immunohistochemical staining showed that positive IRS-2 expression in antral follicles was restricted to theca internal cells in ovulatory ovaries but was distributed widely in all compartments of follicles in different stages in polycystic ovaries. Compared with follicles at a similar stage of development in ovulatory ovaries, follicles in polycystic ovaries showed decreased staining for IRS-1 in granulosa cells but increased staining for IRS-2 in theca internal cells. These features of IRS-1 and -2 expression were also noted in preantral and atretic follicles from patients with gestational diabetes mellitus compared with those who had uncomplicated pregnancy. CONCLUSION(S): This study highlights a shift of the follicular insulin signal protein from IRS-1 to IRS-2 in insulin-resistant states and suggests an association between this change and ovarian abnormality in PCOS and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Altered expression of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptors in follicular and stromal compartments of polycystic ovaries.

In the ovary, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) act synergistically with FSH to augment estrogen production by granulosa cells and with LH to augment androgen production by thecal stromal cells. It is also evident that insulin resistance is common in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO). Thus, in the present study we investigated the expression of insulin and IGF-I receptors in PCO ovaries and compared them with those in normal ovaries. Ovarian tissues were obtained from four PCO patients undergoing wedge resection, and from six patients who underwent radical hysterectomy. Immunohistochemical staining for insulin and IGF-I receptors was performed by avidin/biotin immunoperoxidase techniques. In normal ovaries, the expression of insulin and IGF-I receptors in follicular compartment became apparent in the preantral follicle stage and augmented with the follicular growth, while the stromal cells, regardless of the follicle stage, possessed insulin and IGF-I receptors. In PCO ovaries associated with hyperinsulinemia, no expression of insulin receptors was detected in granulosa or thecal stromal cells, while IGF-I receptor expression increased in thecal stromal cells but decreased in granulosa cells compared to those in normal ovaries. However, in PCO ovaries from patients without hyperinsulinemia, insulin receptor expression was apparent in both granulosa and thecal stromal cells, with a similar intensity to that observed in normal ovaries, while IGF-I receptor expression was negligible in granulosa cells but sustained in thecal stromal cells. These findings suggest that decreased expression of insulin receptors in PCO ovaries associated with hyperinsulinemia may be secondary to receptor down regulation, whereas defective expression in granulosa cells along with elevated or persisted expression in thecal stromal cells of IGF-I receptors may be common in PCO ovaries and contribute to the endocrine profiles of PCO in which varying degrees of hyperandrogenism is a predominant feature.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Oogenesis in the leech Glossiphonia heteroclita (Annelida, Hirudinea, Glossiphonidae). I. Ovary structure and previtellogenic growth of oocytes.

Glossiphonia heteroclita has paired ovaries whose shape and dimensions change as oogenesis proceeds: during early previtellogenesis they are small and club-shaped, whereas during vitellogenesis they broaden and elongate considerably. During early oogenesis (previtellogenesis), each ovary is composed of an outer envelope (ovisac) that surrounds the ovary cavity and is filled with hemocoelomic fluid, in which a single and very convoluted ovary cord is bathed. The ovary cord consists of germline cells, including nurse cells and young oocytes surrounded by a layer of elongated follicle cells. Additionally, follicle cells with long cytoplasmic projections occur inside the ovary cord, where they separate germ cells from each other. The ovary cord contains thousands of nurse cells. Each nurse cell has one intercellular bridge, connecting it to a central anucleate cytoplasmic mass, the cytophore (rachis); it in turn is connected by one intercellular bridge with each growing oocyte. Numerous mitochondria, RER cisternae, ribosomes, and Golgi complexes are transported from the nurse cells, via the intercellular bridge and cytophore, to the growing oocytes. Oogenesis in G. heteroclita is synchronous with all oocytes in the ovary in the same stage of oogenesis. The youngest observed oocytes are slightly larger than nurse cells, and usually occupy the periphery of the ovary cord. As previtellogenesis proceeds, the oocytes gather a vast amount of cell organelles and become more voluminous. As a result, in late previtellogenesis the oocytes gradually protrude into the ovary cavity. Simultaneously with oocyte growth, the follicle cells differentiate into two subpopulations. The morphology of the follicle cells surrounding the nurse cells and penetrating the ovary cord does not change, whereas those enveloping the growing oocytes become more voluminous. Their plasma membrane invaginates deeply, forming numerous broad vesicles that eventually seem to form channels or conducts through which the hemocoelomic fluid can easily access the growing oocytes.

Animals↗