Effects of jacalin and follicle-stimulating hormone on in vitro goat primordial follicle activation, survival and gene expression

Reciprocal stimulating effects of bFGF and FSH on chicken primordial follicle activation through AKT and ERK pathway

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) both play important roles in primordial follicle development. Here we investigated the reciprocal stimulation effects of a cytokine bFGF and FSH on primordial follicle development in the chicken and considered a possible signaling mechanism involving protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathways. 4-day-old chicken ovaries were treated with bFGF and FSH for 3 days in culture to investigate the effects of bFGF and FSH on primordial follicle development. Methods included HE staining, immunohistochemistry, quantitate real-time PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence. A correlated change of bFGF receptor (FGFR1) mRNA expression and time course of primordial follicle activation was revealed in the early chick ovaries. A reciprocal stimulation effect on primordial follicle activation was demonstrated for bFGF and FSH, along with accelerated granulosa cells proliferation and decreased cell apoptosis. The promoting effect of bFGF was attenuated by the FGFR1 inhibitor SU5402 where the percentage of growing follicles had decreased. AKT and ERK signaling pathways mediated the action of bFGF and FSH in their promotion of primordial follicle activation. Cytokine bFGF and FSH imposed reciprocal stimulating effects on granulosa cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis to promote primordial follicle activation via the PI3K-AKT and ERK signaling pathways in early chick ovaries.

Supplementation of in vitro culture medium with FSH to grow follicles and mature oocytes can be replaced by extracts of Justicia insularis

The present study evaluated the effect of supplementing in vitro culture medium with J. insularis compared to FSH on isolated secondary follicles and in vitro maturation of oocytes from those follicles. Secondary follicles were isolated from sheep ovaries and individually cultured for 18 days in α-MEM⁺ (Control), α-MEM⁺ supplemented with 100 ng/mL recombinant bovine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or with 0.3, 1.25, or 2.5 mg/mL of J. insularis extract (JI0.3, JI1.25, and JI2.5, respectively). Culture medium collected every 2 days was used to measure ROS levels. At the end of the culture period, cumulus oocytes complex (COCs) were collected and matured in vitro. Follicular walls were used for mRNA quantitation. JI0.3 led to a higher (P < 0.05) percentages of intact follicles than other groups after 18 days of culture. While follicular diameter remained unchanged from Day 6 onwards with JI0.3 and FSH, percentages of antral cavity formation were higher (P < 0.05) with JI0.3 at Day 6 than in all other treatments. No differences were observed between controls and treatment groups regarding ROS levels and mRNA expression of genes. Viability of resulting oocytes was higher (P < 0.05) in JI0.3 compared to FSH. Interestingly, in control experiment, supplementation of maturation medium with JI0.3 led to higher (P < 0.05) percentages of metaphase II compared to controls. Although more validations will be needed, it seems that this natural extract could be used as a cheap and easily available alternative to commercial FSH.