HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Allan, C M Articles by Handelsman, D J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Allan, C M Articles by Handelsman, D J

Andrology Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, New South Wales 2139, Australia
¹ Department of Reproductive Medicine, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2145, Australia

(Requests for offprints should be addressed to C M Allan; Email: charles{at}anzac.edu.au)

Ovarian primordial follicle reserve is considered hormonally independent or subject to depletion by FSH-driven follicle recruitment. To explore specific in vivo effects of FSH on early follicle populations in the absence of luteinizing hormone (LH) activity, we examined mature hypogonadal (hpg), gonadotrophin-deficient mice expressing transgenic (tg) human FSH. Sustained expression of tg-FSH (5.3 ± 0.3 IU/l) increased ovary weights fourfold and significantly elevated total primordial follicle numbers twofold in tg-FSH hpg (4209 ± 457) relative to non-tg hpg (2079 ± 391) and wild-type (2043 ± 195) age-matched ovaries. Absolute primary follicle numbers in tg-FSH hpg ovaries were similar to non-tg hpg and wild-type ovaries. Furthermore, tg-FSH quantitatively increased secondary and antral follicles in hpg ovaries to numbers equivalent to wild-type, but did not induce ovulation, indicating a selective FSH response without LH. Circulating inhibin B and inhibin A levels were significantly increased in tg-FSH hpg females compared with hpg controls, and inhibin B correlated with antral number, consistent with FSH-driven antral follicle formation. These findings revealed that sustained pituitary-independent FSH activity, in the absence of endogenous gonadotrophins, promotes an increase in primordial follicle reserve despite also stimulating follicular growth in mature females. Therefore, the tg-FSH hpg ovary presents a novel paradigm to evaluate specific gonadotrophin effects on follicle reserve and recruitment.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Motola, M. Popliker, and A. Tsafriri Are Steroids Obligatory Mediators of Luteinizing Hormone/Human Chorionic Gonadotropin-Triggered Resumption of Meiosis in Mammals? Endocrinology, September 1, 2007; 148(9): 4458 - 4465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. J. McTavish, M. Jimenez, K. A. Walters, J. Spaliviero, N. P. Groome, A. P. Themmen, J. A. Visser, D. J. Handelsman, and C. M. Allan Rising Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Levels with Age Accelerate Female Reproductive Failure Endocrinology, September 1, 2007; 148(9): 4432 - 4439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]