Reproduction Abstracts

Size of the reserve of primordial follicles in mammalian ovary is critical for female reproduction and reproductive senescence. Despite an accurate estimation of the size of the reserve of primordial follicles remains unestablished, due to lack of molecular markers. We performed to explore the expressed gene in the ovarian correlated with primordial follicle in posterior reproductive duration using a wide array in mouse. ICR mouse bread until 9 or 58 weeks was used (9W and 58W). 58W mice were divided into three groups: administrated vehicle, carnitine (5 mg/ml) or saturated hydrogen molecule (H₂) in drinking water. Mice were treated superovulation by PMSG and hCG, and in one side of ovary was fixed to count primordial follicle and another one was used for analysis for gene expression by real time PCR and microarray. The number of ovulated oocytes in all groups of 58W mice decreased significantly and increased number of abnormal ova in comparison of 9W. The number of primordial follicle in aged mice ovary varied between the individual mice. Although controlling the reserve of primordial follicles related gene, Foxo3, PTEN and Akt2 were expressed in 9W and 58W mice ovary, there was no significant difference between 9W and 58W. The gene expression in aged mice ovary correlated with its size of primordial follicle was analyzed using microarray. Gstp2, Gapdh, Msmo1, Actb (β-actin) and Akr1b7 gene revealed correlation with the size of primordial follicle (P<0.05). Microarray analysis was revealed that the size of primordial follicle was correlated the constitutive genes required for the maintenance of basic cellular function.