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This study examined primary defects and related mechanisms leading to impaired fertility following superovulation with exogenous gonadotropin. Experiments were designed to address the ovulatory response, oocyte quality (gross morphology and nuclear maturation) and embryo development with reference …
A delicate balance of steroid and gonadotrophic hormones is essential for intrafollicular oocyte maturation and successful fertilization and embryonic development. Previous studies have demonstrated that a superovulatory dose of pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) has excessive gonadotrophic a…
The studies undertaken herewithin sought to characterize the pattern of regulation of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRH-R) mRNA levels in the rat ovary. The demonstration of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) transcripts in steroidproducing and steroid-dependent tissues suggest…
The present study was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that membrane phosphoinositide breakdown may participate in the actions of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) on hormone production in the rat ovary. In granulosa cells prelabeled with [³H]-arachidonic acid or [³H]-inositol, tr…
Ritodrine is a beta-adrenergic agonist commonly used to inhibit premature labor contractions in women. The primary goal of ritodrine tocolysis is to prolong gestation, however, other indications may include fetal distress. The purpose of the current study was to examine the metabolic and behavioral…
These studies examined the effects of prostaglandin-F[sub 2a] (PGF[sub 2a]) on progesterone and 178-estradiol (estradiol) production, as well as DNA and PGF[sub 2a]-receptor (PGF[sub 2a]-R) mRNA levels, in the human granulosa-luteal cell (GLC). Additionally, the interactions of PGF[sub 2a] with hum…
An excitatory role for norepinephrine (NE) in the regulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) release was first suggested when it was demonstrated that noradrenergic receptor antagonists were able to block ovulation. More recently it has been proposed that NE has both an excitatory role and an inhibitor…
Epidemiological studies have shown that cholesterol is a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. Since the atherosclerotic plaque develops over a long period interventions early in life may be of some benefit. In addition, it has been shown that the enzymes involved in cholesterol…
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer in the Western world, but comparatively little is known about its development. Epithelial ovarian carcinomas are thought to originate in the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE), i.e. the mesothelium covering the ovary, but experimental evidence fo…
Superovulation causes detrimental effects, including embryonic loss and implantation failure. This study determined potential roles for insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) in uterine environment regulation and preimplantation development, in conjunction with the detrimental effects of superovulation…
Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) of atrial myocyte origin, has been shown to play a role in the diuresis, natriuresis, and antagonism of angiotensin and vasopressin. However, it is now apparent that in addition to the production of the peptide in the heart and in its role in fluid and electrolyte h…
There is increasing evidence to suggest that activin can function as an autocrine/paracrine regulator in various tissues, including the reproductive system. At the cellular level, activin acts via a family of activin receptor (ActR) subtypes which includes two type I (ActRI and ActRLB) and two type…
It is well established that LH action is mediated primarily by adenylate cyclase/cAMP. Conversely, the role of inositol phosphate/calcium in LH signalling has only recently been investigated. We examined the effects of gonadotrophins on intracellular calcium mobilisation in HEK293 cells transiently…
The placenta is an important endocrine organ producing large amounts of steroid and protein hormones which are released into the maternal and fetal circulations. Moreover, it has a very high metabolic rate and consumes a significant proportion of the oxygen and glucose delivered to the uterus and i…
The gonadotropin - releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor is a plasma membrane associated receptor and a member of the GTP - binding protein coupled receptor family. The interaction of the ligand, GnRH, and the GnRH receptor is a critical event in the endocrine control of reproduction. This coupling sti…
In vitro fertilization (IVF) has been achieved in several mammalian species, including humans. Using the technique of IVF and embryo transfer, pregnancies can now be established in infertile women and thousands of live births have occurred. However, many of the embryos transferred to the uterus fai…
This thesis investigated the expression and regulation of cytochrome P450s, aromatase (P450arom) and cholesterol side chain cleavage (P450scc) enzyme mRNAs in human granulosa-luteal cells using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The two enzymes are instrumental in steroid hor…
In order to characterize and compare the pattern of inhibin production in the follicular phase between patients of the clomiphene citrate/human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and Buserelin/hMG protocols in in-vitro fertilization, serum inhibin levels from 20 patients in each protocol were measured. …
In order to characterize and compare the pattern of inhibin production in the follicular phase between patients of the clomiphene citrate/human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and Buserelin/hMG protocols in in-vitro fertilization, serum inhibin levels from 20 patients in each protocol were measured. …
Calbindin-D9k is a cytosolic calcium binding protein expressed in the mammalian intestine, placenta, and uterus. The protein is probably involved in calcium transport across the intestinal and placental epithelia. The objective of this thesis was to study the structure of the human and porcine calb…