ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2013, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (7): 1043-1050.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2013.07.008

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Effect of Ovarian Stromal Cells on Co-cultured Small Antral Follicles in the Goat

QIU Ming-ning, HAN Cheng-quan, YANG Zhong-cai, LIU Jun, QUAN Fu-sheng*, ZHANG Yong*   

  1. (Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
  • Received:2013-01-11 Online:2013-07-23 Published:2013-07-23

Abstract:

To investigate the mechanism of follicular development in the goat, our present study were designed to co-culture small antral follicles with ovarian cortex stromal cells, theca cells and ovarian medullary stromal cells in vitro for 5 d, respectively, and then to measure the change of diameter of follicles, steroid hormone productions, expressions of oocyte secreted factors (gdf9 and bmp15) and inhibitory apoptotic and pro-apoptotic genes. The results showed that the diameter of follicles were increased significantly in co-cultured groups than which cultured alone after 5 d culture (P<0.05); estradiol production increased in small antral follicles (413.95 pg·mL-1) after co-cultured with ovarian cortical stromal cells for 5 d (P<0.01); progesterone production extremely increased in small antral follicles (11.695 ng·mL-1) when co-cultured with ovarian medullary stromal cells for 5 d (P<0.01), progesterone production increased in small antral follicles when co-cultured with theca cells for 5 d (P<0.05); expressions of gdf9 and bmp15 mRNA in the oocytes in follicles co-cultured with ovarian stromal cells and theca cells were increased (P<0.01); expressions of inhibitory apoptotic genes in cumulus cells and oocytes in small antral follicles co-cultured increased (P<0.05), and expressions of pro-apoptotic genes in cumulus cells and oocytes in small antral follicles co-cultured decreased (P<0.05). These results indicated that ovarian stromal cells and theca cells could promote growing of small antral follicles, steroid hormone productions, and expressions of oocyte secreted factors (gdf9 and bmp15), and inhibit apoptosis of small antral follicles; especially enhance the capacity of small antral follicles significantly through inhibiting apoptosis after co-cultured with theca cells.

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