• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 1990

To study the follicular atretic mechanism in mammalian ovary, the medium-sized (3.0-6.0mm) follicles of porcine ovary were morphologically classified as nonnal and atretic. Steroid concentrations in the follicular fluid were analyzed by radioimmunoassay, and the proteins in that fluid were electrophoretically separated. Concentrations of progesterone in the atretic follicular fluid of follicular phases were higher than those of normal ones (p < 0.05). Concentrations of testosterone were high in normal luteal and atretic follicular-phases follicles. The concentrations of estradiol remained significanily lower in atretic follicular-phases follicles than normal. After sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of follicular fluid proteins, four kinds of proteins (20K, 32K, 33K, 38K) were detected, and those proteins were not present in sera. According to the ovarian cycle, proteins of MW of 112K and 141K were identified. In atretic follicular fludies, MW of 23K and 24K were specifically detected. From the above results, we can conclude that, as ovarian cycle changes, steroid contents and protein composition in atretic follicular fluid are different from the normal developing follicular fluid. To further understand the physiologic roles of the proteins present in the atretic follicular fluids, these proteins need to be characterized and identified.