Estrogen actions on follicle formation and early follicle development

Abstract

Estradiol-17β (E2) affects late follicular development, whereas primordial follicle differentiation and early activation are believed to be independent of E2. To test this hypothesis we compared numbers of primordial and primary follicles in wild-type and E2-deficient, aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice, and the immunohistochemical staining or mRNA expression of Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS), Wilms tumor 1 (WT-1), and growth differentiation factor (GDF9), which are known to effect early follicular differentiation. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining was a marker of proliferative index. The effects of E2 replacement for 3 wk in 7-wk-old ArKO and wild-type mice on these param..