Hormonal modulation of gap junctions in rat ovarian follicles. Academic Article

abstract

• Homocellular gap junctions between granulosa cells and between theca interna cells, and heterocellular gap junctions between granulosa cells and oocytes persist in rat ovarian follicles for as long as 90 days following hypophysectomy. Gonadotrophic and/or steroid hormones are therefore not required for the maintenance of gap junctions between these cells during early follicular growth. However, replacement therapy with estrogen and human chorionic gonadotrophin results in amplification of gap junctions in granulosa and theca interna cells respectively. Within 24h following hormonal stimulation, growth of gap junctions is characterized by the appearance of formation plaques as observed in freeze-fracture replicas and by the association of microfilamentous material located subadjacent to gap junction membrane observable in thin-sectioned cells.

authors

• Burghardt, Robert

published proceedings

• Cell Tissue Res

author list (cited authors)

• Burghardt, R. C., & Anderson, E.

citation count

• 69

complete list of authors

• Burghardt, RC||Anderson, E

publication date

• January 1981

publisher

• Springer Nature  Publisher

published in

• Cell and Tissue Research  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• Chorionic Gonadotropin
• Estradiol
• Female
• GRANULOSA CELLS
• Hypophysectomy
• Intercellular Junctions
• Oocytes
• Progesterone
• Rats
• Theca Cells

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1007/BF00235155

start page

• 181

end page

• 193

volume

• 214

issue

• 1

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf00235155