Effects of thyroid hormone on gonadotropin-induced steroid production in medaka, Oryzias latipes, ovarian follicles.

Blood and ovarian samples were collected at intervals of 4h prior to spawning time from medaka (Oryzias latipes) that were maturationally synchronized with artificial photoperiod (14h light: 10h dark). Plasma estradiol-17β (E2) levels increased rapidly from 16h before spawning and peaked at 8h before spawning. Follicle-enclosed oocytes (ovarian follicles) at different stages of development were isolated from the ovaries and used to study the in vitro effects of thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine; T3) on pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (GTH)-induced E2 production. GTH at a concentration of 100 IU/ml stimulated E2 production by ovarian follicles collected between 32 and 16h before spawning. At 32h before spawning, T3 (5 ng/ml) administered along with GTH (100 IU/ml) resulted in a 3.5 fold increase in E2 production, compared with GTH administered alone. These results suggest that T3 can act on ovarian follicles directly to modulate GTH-stimulated E2 production in the medaka.