| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |

Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research Hamburg 54, Federal Republic of Germany
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Amal K. Mukhopadhyay, Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research, Grandweg 64, D-2000 Hamburg 54, Federal Republic of Germany.
Abstract
Bovine follicles having a higher concentration of progesterone than estradiol in the follicular fluid can be considered as atretic. Since we observed previously that there was an inverse relationship between the follicular fluid estradiol to progesterone (E/P) ratio and the prorenin level, we have proposed that a high prorenin level may be associated with follicular atresia. The aim of the present study was to corroborate this hypothesis by including additional indices to distinguish unambiguously between atretic and nonatretic follicles and to compare the prorenin levels in these two groups of follicles. The present study included examination of more than 200 follicles in the follicular fluid of which we have measured steroid and prorenin levels. The results obtained show a highly significant negative correlation between the prorenin level on the one hand and the E/P ratio, estrogen to total androgen ratio, or estradiol concentration on the other hand. As a further criterion for atresia, we have examined the histological characteristics of the follicles by light and electron microscopy and have found that 90% of historically characterized atretic follicles had an E/P ratio less than 1 and an average prorenin level four to five times higher than nonatretic follicles. Finally, when we determined the FSH-stimulated cAMP response and the aromatase activity, in terms of the ability to convert exogenous androgen to estrogen in granulosa cells isolated from individual follicles, we observed a markedly higher prorenin level in the fluid of follicles whose granulosa cells responded poorly to FSH and showed a low aromatase activity, compared to follicles whose granulosa cells responded strongly to FSH and contained high aromatase activity. In summary, follicles that were classified as atretic on the basis of a number of biochemical and histological parameters contained significantly higher prorenin levels in their follicular fluid than nonatretic ones. Thus, a high follicular fluid prorenin level is a valid indicator for follicular atresia in bovine ovaries. However, the reason for this increase in follicular fluid prorenin level and whether this increase is a cause or a consequence of atresia remains to be determined. (Endocrinology 129: 2367–2375,1991)
Footnotes
* This report formed a part of the doctoral thesis submitted by K.H. in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Hamburg. This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Grant Ho 388/6–1/9 and a fellowship from German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) (to M.S.). A preliminary report on this work was presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the German Endocrine Society, Bonn, Germany, 1991.
Present address: National Institutes of Health NIDDK, Building 10, Room 8D14, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Received March 28, 1991.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
V. M. Portela, P. B. D. Goncalves, A. M. Veiga, E. Nicola, J. Buratini Jr., and C. A. Price Regulation of Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor in Bovine Granulosa Cells Endocrinology, October 1, 2008; 149(10): 5004 - 5011. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Kisliouk, A. Friedman, E. Klipper, Q.-Y. Zhou, D. Schams, N. Alfaidy, and R. Meidan Expression Pattern of Prokineticin 1 and Its Receptors in Bovine Ovaries During the Estrous Cycle: Involvement in Corpus Luteum Regression and Follicular Atresia Biol Reprod, May 1, 2007; 76(5): 749 - 758. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Paul, A. Poyan Mehr, and R. Kreutz Physiology of local Renin-Angiotensin systems. Physiol Rev, July 1, 2006; 86(3): 747 - 803. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. P. R. Costa, C. R. Fagundes-Moura, V. M. Pereira, L. F. Silva, M. A. R. Vieira, R. A. S. Santos, and A. M. Dos Reis Angiotensin-(1-7): A Novel Peptide in the Ovary Endocrinology, May 1, 2003; 144(5): 1942 - 1948. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M.A.M. Yahia Khandoker, K. Imai, T. Takahashi, and K. Hashizume Role of Gelatinase on Follicular Atresia in the Bovine Ovary Biol Reprod, September 1, 2001; 65(3): 726 - 732. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T.J. Acosta, T. Ozawa, S. Kobayashi, K. Hayashi, M. Ohtani, W.D. Kraetzl, K. Sato, D. Schams, and A. Miyamoto Periovulatory Changes in the Local Release of Vasoactive Peptides, Prostaglandin F2{alpha}, and Steroid Hormones from Bovine Mature Follicles In Vivo Biol Reprod, November 1, 2000; 63(5): 1253 - 1261. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
K. Hayashi, A. Miyamoto, B. Berisha, M. R. Kosmann, K. Okuda, and D. Schams Regulation of Angiotensin II Production and Angiotensin Receptors in Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Bovine Corpus Luteum Biol Reprod, January 1, 2000; 62(1): 162 - 167. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
T. J. Acosta, B. Berisha, T. Ozawa, K. Sato, D. Schams, and A. Miyamoto Evidence for a Local Endothelin-Angiotensin-Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Systemin Bovine Mature Follicles In Vitro: Effects on Steroid Hormones and Prostaglandin Secretion Biol Reprod, December 1, 1999; 61(6): 1419 - 1425. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
E. Kotani, M. Sugimoto, H. Kamata, N. Fujii, M. Saitoh, S. Usuki, T. Kubo, K. Song, M. Miyazaki, K. Murakami, et al. Biological roles of angiotensin II via its type 2 receptor during rat follicle atresia Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, January 1, 1999; 276(1): E25 - E33. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Nemeth, J. R. Pepperell, Y. Yamada, A. Palumbo, and F. Naftolin The Basis and Evidence of a Role for the Ovarian Renin-Angiotensin System in Health and Disease Reproductive Sciences, April 1, 1994; 1(2): 118 - 127. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |