The effect of progesterone and estradiol on gonadotropin – induced oocyte maturation in isolated ovarian follicles from mice

Abstract

Ovaries from pubertal mice were dissected into fragments containing 1–4 antral follicles, which were cultured on the surface of a chemistry defined medium. After 17–20 hrs oocytes were released from the cultured follicles and their meiotic status recorded. In the presence or absence of exogenous gonadotropins oocytes in these cultures behaved meiotically as expected if they had been studied in the intact animal. Media containing 100 μM of progesterone for the duration of the culture period caused atresia of the oocytes, and although the addition of gonadotropins reduced this necrosis they did not induce the resumption of meiosis. The meiotic stimulating effect of gonadotropins was also inhibited if progesterone was present in the culture media for the first 3 hours only. Estradiol (100 μM) similarly inhibited the meiotic inducing action of gonadotropins when left in the medium for the duration of culture, but had no effect when administrated for a shorter period. The results from this model system, would indicate that the meiotic‐initiating action of gonadotropins can be modulated by exposure to progesterone and estradiol.