Comparison of granulosa cell proliferation in small follicles of hypophysectomized, prepubertal, and mature rats.

The factors that control the rate of granulosa cell proliferation during follicular development are unknown. The object of this study was to test the hypothesis that growth rates of small and medium follicles may be modulated by cyclic alterations in endogenous hormone concentrations. Follicular growth in adult cycling rats was compared with hypophysectomized rats, untreated prepubertal rats, and prepubertal rats treated with exogenous gonadotropins. Cell kinetics was studied using a metaphase arrest technique and by long-term infusion of [3H]thymidine. Many follicles of hypophysectomized rats showed evidence of continued cell proliferation despite the absence of gonadotropins. In hypophysectomized rats, follicular growth was able to proceed to the size of the largest healthy non-preovulatory follicles in the proestrous rat ovary. Follicular growth in prepubertal rats progressed little beyond this same size range. Granulosa cell proliferation rates differed in immature rats and cycling rats. Granulosa cells in small follicles (80-180 cells in the largest cross-section) of cycling rats grew slowly. However, granulosa cells in small follicles of immature rats were among the fastest growing in the ovary. These results suggest that, although gonadotropins are not absolutely required to maintain granulosa cell proliferation in small follicles, the rate at which these follicles grow varies under different hormonal conditions.