Relaxin Production by the Porcine Ovarian Graafian Follicle in vitro

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Abstract
Immunoreactive relaxin was shown to be present in pools of porcine follicular fluid collected from individual ovaries from cyclic and pregnant sows. In the cyclic animals, the highest relaxin level was obtained from ovaries containing active corpora lutea, but at no stage during the cycle did relaxin content of follicular fluid approach that found in ovaries of pregnant sows. Fractionation of follicular fluid on Sephadex G-50 revealed at least three immunoreactive relaxin peaks of differing molecular weight: >40,000, 20,000, and one corresponding to authentic relaxin (6300). Serum of pregnant sows when fractionated in a similar fashion contained more of the highest molecular weight immunoreactive relaxin while only ∼20% of the immunoreactivity was associated with 6300 relaxin.