Morphological analyses of interleukin-8 effects on rat ovarian follicles at ovulation and luteinization in vivo.

The aim of the present study was to elucidate functions of the interleukin (IL)-8 at ovulation and luteinization in vivo. To compare the morphological differences between human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and IL-8 stimulation, scanning electron microscopy was employed to study rat ovarian vascular corrosion casts. Follicular growth and increased capillary vessel densities around the follicles were seen in vascular corrosion casts after IL-8 injection, similar to the result of hCG administration. This result indicated that exogenous IL-8 could play a role in the neovascularization during follicular development as an angiogenetic factor. Many fenestrations were observed in the vascular endothelium by hCG administration. In contrast, no fenestrations were observed with IL-8 injection, indicating that IL-8 may not be sufficient to increase the vascular permeability directly. Although germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) occurred at rates of 82% after the hCG injection, only 20% GVBD was observed after the IL-8 injection. The present study indicated that IL-8 might have important effects on rat follicles at ovulation and luteinization via vascularization in a similar manner to hCG. However, IL-8 was not effective on vascular permeability and oocyte maturation, which were different from hCG. Thus, we can conclude that IL-8 can participate in follicular development in part and may play important roles in ovulation and luteinization as one of some mediators induced by endogenous luteinizing hormone.