Expression of c-Kit/SCF and Inhibin-alpha in Ovarian Follicles During Mouse Development

Kang, J S; Lee, C J; Rha, J Y; Lee, J M; Song, K W; Park, M H

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
It is known that SCF stimulates cellular migration, proliferation, differentiation and survival upon interaction with its receptor, c-kit. SCF is essential for a normal gonadal development. Inhibin-alpha subunit gene expression is important for granulosa cell (GC) differentiation. The mechanism concerning the development of the ovarian follicles is not clearly understood. In this study, an immunohistochemical study was performed to find out the follicular expressions of c-kit, SCF, and inhibin-alpha during different developmental stages in mouse ovary.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Mouse ovaries obtained from 14 and 16 days post coitum and 2, 7, and 21 days post partum were fixed in paraformaldehyde. Immunohistochemistries for c-kit, SCF, inhibin-alpha were subsequently carried out.
RESULTS
Antigens for both c-kit and SCF were expressed constantly on oogonia regardless of their developmental stages. SCF was expressed on oocytes of primordial and primary follicles of neonate mouse ovaries. In immature mouse ovaries, there was a gradual decrease in expression of c-kit/SCF as the follicles develop. SCF was expressed strongly on the oocytes of preantral follicles, but weakly in granulosa and theca cells. Inhibin-alpha showed a large expression on granulosa cells of preantral and early antral follicles of the immature mouse ovaries.
CONCLUSION
We concluded that the expression of c-kit/SCF is decreased after the follicle start to grow. The expression of inhibin-alpha is negatively correlated to the expressions of both c-kit/SCF in the ovarian follicles in mice.