Summary
Temporal relationships were defined in sheep between the onset of the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH; 0 h), dispersion of mural granulosal cells and cumulus oophorus, resumption of meiosis of the oocyte, and ovulation. A quantitative increase in intercellular spacing among mural granulosal and cumulus cells was detected at the light-microscopic level 12 h following the onset of the surge of LH. Evidence of breakdown of the germinal vesicle of oocytes was apparent at 16 h and thereafter. Ovulation occurred near 24 h. Systemic administration of indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin/PG biosynthesis, at 8 h subsequently prevented dissociation of mural granulosal and cumulus cells and suppressed maturation of the oocyte. The action of the drug was reversed by intrafollicular injection of PGE2 at 12 h; PGF2α was ineffective in this regard. Prostaglandin E2 appears to be involved in preovulatory ovine follicles in the dissolution of cell-to-cell contacts and in maturation of the oocyte.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ball GD, Lenz RW, Ax RL, First NL (1983) Effects of cAMP on bovine oocyte maturation and cumulus expansion. In: Greenwald GS, Terranova PF (eds) Factors regulating ovarian function. Raven Press, New York, pp 61–64
Downs SM, Longo FJ (1983) Effects of indomethacin on oocyte maturation in mice. In: Greenwald GS, Terranova PF (eds) Factors regulating ovarian function. Raven Press, New York, pp 65–69
Eppig JJ (1981) Prostaglandin E2 stimulates cumulus expansion and hyaluronic acid synthesis by cumuli oophori isolated from mice. Biol Reprod 25:191–195
Eppig JJ (1982) The relationship between cumulus-oocyte coupling, oocyte meiotic maturation, and cumulus expansion. Dev Biol 89:268–272
Flower RJ (1974) Drugs that inhibit prostaglandin biosynthesis. Pharmacol Rev 26:33–67
Gilula NB, Epstein ML, Beers WH (1978) Cell-to-cell communication and ovulation. J Cell Biol 78:58–75
Loewenstein WR, Kanno Y, Socolar SJ (1978) The cell-to-cell channel. Fed Proc 37:2645–2650
Moor RM, Smith MW, Dawson RMC (1980) Measurement of intercellular coupling between oocytes and cumulus cells using intracellular markers. Exp Cell Res 126:15–29
Motlik J, Fulka J, Flechon JE (1986) Changes in intercellular coupling between pig oocytes and cumulus cells during maturation in vivo and in vitro. J Reprod Fertil 76:31–37
Murdoch WJ (1985) Follicular determinants of ovulation in the ewe. Dom Anim Endocrinol 2:105–121
Murdoch WJ, Cavender JL (1987) Mechanisms of ovulation. Adv Contra Dev Syst (in press)
Murdoch WJ, Dunn TG (1983) Luteal function after ovulation blockade by intrafollicular injection of indomethacin in the ewe. J Reprod Fertil 69:671–675
Murdoch WJ, Myers DA (1983) Effect of treatment of estrous ewes with indomethacin on the distribution of ovarian blood to the periovulatory follicle. Biol Reprod 29:1229–1232
Murdoch WJ, Dailey RA, Inskeep EK (1981) Preovulatory changes in prostaglandins E2 and F2α in ovine follicles. J Anim Sci 53:192–205
Murdoch WJ, Peterson TA, Van Kirk EA, Vincent DL, Inskeep EK (1986) Interactive roles of progesterone, prostaglandins and collagenase in the ovulatory mechanism of the ewe. Biol Reprod 35:1187–1194
Roberts AJ, Dunn TG, Murdoch WJ (1985) Induction of ovulation in proestrous ewes: Identification of the ovulatory follicle and functional status of the corpus luteum. Dom Anim Endocrinol 2:207–210
Tsafriri A, Dekel N, Bar-Ami S (1982) The role of oocyte maturation inhibitor in follicular regulation of oocyte maturation. J Reprod Fertil 64:541–551
Yoshimura Y, Wallach EE (1987) Studies of the mechanism(s) of mammalian ovulation. Fertil Steril 47:22–34
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Murdoch, W.J. Disruption of cellular associations within the granulosal compartment of periovulatory ovine follicles: Relationship to maturation of the oocyte and regulation by prostaglandins. Cell Tissue Res. 252, 459–462 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214389
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214389