Effect of steroids on oocyte maturation and atresia in mouse ovarian fragments in vitro

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Abstract
Ovaries from pubertal mice were dissected into fragments containing 1-4 antral follicles which were cultured on the surface of a chemically defined, modified Eagle''s Minimum Essential Medium (MEM). After 17-20 h oocytes were released from the cultured follicles and their meiotic status recorded. In the presence and absence of exogenous gonadotropins, oocytes in these cultures behaved meiotically as expected if they were studied in vivo. Medium containing progesterone (10 .mu.M), testosterone (100 .mu.M) or androstenedione (100 .mu.M) increased the incidence of oocytes remaining meiotically inactive compared to follicles cultured in steroid-free medium. Lower concentrations of the above steroids or pregnenolone (1-100 .mu.M) did not affect the meiotic status of cultured follicle-enclosed oocytes. Most (61%) of the dictyate oocytes released from steroid-treated follicles resumed and/or completed the 1st meiotic division when cultured further in steroid-free medium. Progesterone (100 .mu.M) caused oocyte and follicle cell atresia which increased as the period of follicular exposure to progesterone was increased.

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