Abstract:

 The objective of this study is to elucidate effects of CART on estradiol (E₂) production in vitro in follicular granulosa cells of sheep ovaries. The ovarian granulosa cells were cultured for 7 days by using the Long-term method. The cell growth status in each well was observed under a microscope after cultured of 48, 96, 144 and 168 h, respectively under different concentrations of CART and FSH. The concentration of estradiol was assayed by ABC-ELISA. After 168 h of culture, culture medium with different concentrations of FSH (5, 25 and 50 ng·mL^-1) was added, the concentration of estradiol was significantly increased. When adding 5 ng·mL^-1 FSH, the concentration of estradiol was the highest (5 694.5±40.5 pg·mL^-1). When the concentrations of FSH was 5 ng·mL^-1, with the different concentrations of CART (0.01, 0.10 and 1.00 μmol·L^-1) was added, the production of estradiol in granulosa cells were inhibited in different degrees. When the concentrations of FSH was 25 and 50 ng·mL^-1 respectively, and CART was 0.10 μmol·L^-1 in the culture media, the inhibition was significant for the production of estradiol in FSH-induced sheep ovarian granulosa cells. The generation of estradiol in sheep ovarian granulosa cells needs FSH induction. CART inhibits the estradiol production of FSH-induced sheep follicular granulosa cells in vitro.