Physiology: Human follicular fluid maturity and endothelial cell chemotaxis

Abstract

Follicular fluid of varying maturity was collected from the largest Graafian follicle of 23 ovulatory patients during laparoscopy (five blood-stained samples were discarded) and from five patients undergoing oocyte collection for assisted reproduction. The endothelial cell (EC) chemotactic potentials of the samples were tested with bovine aortic ECs in modified Boyden Chambers and an EC density score was determined for each sample. Intra-assay coefficients of variation (CV) varied from 2.9-17% inter-assay CV was 45%. Therefore, cell density scores were expressed in terms of positive and negative control values from their respective plates. Serum progesterone was positively correlated with EC..