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Human follicular fluid: Prolactin is biologically active and ovum fertilization correlates with estradiol concentration

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Abstract

The bioactivity of prolactin (PRL) in follicular fluid (FF) obtained from mature preovulatory follicles was measured by the Nb2 lymphoma-cell bioassay and compared with the immunoreactivity as measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA-PRL). There was a good correlation between the two assay systems (P<0.01), and when RIA-PRL was more than 25 ng/ml, both assay systems yielded comparable values, with a mean bioassay/RIA ratio of 1.06±0.03; however, when RIA-PRL was 25 ng/ml or less, a discrepancy between the two assay systems was evident, with a bioassay/RIA ratio of 1.55±0.15. The estradiol (E2) concentration of FF obtained from follicles that contained oocytes which were subsequently fertilized was greater than that in follicles containing oocytes which were not fertilized: 588±62 vs 376±37 ng/ml (P<0.01), respectively. No differences were found in bioassay-PRL, RIA-PRL, progesterone (P), and FF volumes between fertilized and unfertilized groups of follicles. FF from mature preovulatory follicles contained greater concentrations of RIA-PRL compared to immature follicles (34.6±3.1 vs 8.5±1.6 ng/ml; P<0.001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Ob/Gyn, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 48201, Detroit, Michigan

    Marappa G. Subramanian, Anthony G. Sacco, Kamran S. Moghissi, David M. Magyar & Maria F. Hayes

  2. Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 48201, Detroit, Michigan

    David M. Lawson & Richard R. Gala

Authors
  1. Marappa G. Subramanian
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  2. Anthony G. Sacco
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  3. Kamran S. Moghissi
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  4. David M. Magyar
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  5. Maria F. Hayes
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  6. David M. Lawson
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  7. Richard R. Gala
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Subramanian, M.G., Sacco, A.G., Moghissi, K.S. et al. Human follicular fluid: Prolactin is biologically active and ovum fertilization correlates with estradiol concentration. J Assist Reprod Genet 5, 129–133 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01131174

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01131174

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