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Can Stimulation Protocols Improve Oocyte Quality?

  • Conference paper
The Future of the Oocyte

Part of the book series: Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop ((SCHERING FOUND,volume 41))

Abstract

Ovarian follicle development in humans is a lengthy process that takes several months. Initial follicle recruitment from the resting pool is regulated by intraovarian factors and independent of circulating gonadotropin concentrations. Once follicles have initiated growth, they progress through a slow preantral growth phase (approximately 4 months) during which the formation of zona pellucida, granulosa cell layers, theca cell layers, and vascularization of the theca externa are accomplished (for review, see Richards 2001). The preantral growth stages are mainly under paracrine/autocrine control but the somatic cells already express the receptors for gonadotropins (Sokka et al. 1996; Oktay et al. 1997). Although the growth of preantral follicles are considered to be gonadotropin-independent, there are arguments that gonadotropin fluctuations may effect these early growing follicles (Parrot and Skinner 1998a,b). Along the lengthy track of follicle growth, granulosa cells are stimulated by a variety of factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), transforming growth factor α (TGF-α) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF).

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Authors
  1. J. Smitz
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, 04609, Bar Harbor, ME, USA

    J. Eppig

  2. Safety Pharm. Mgmt., Schering AG, Müllerstr. 178, 13342, Berlin, Germany

    Ch. Hegele-Hartung

  3. Female Health Care, Schering AG, Müllerstr. 178, 13342, Berlin, Germany

    M. Lessl

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© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Smitz, J. (2002). Can Stimulation Protocols Improve Oocyte Quality?. In: Eppig, J., Hegele-Hartung, C., Lessl, M. (eds) The Future of the Oocyte. Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop, vol 41. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04960-0_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04960-0_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-04962-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-04960-0

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