Structural variations produced in vitro by gonadotrophins and steroid hormones on the cell surfaces of the ovarian epithelium of the chick embryo.
The purpose of the present work was to analyze the structural variations produced "in vitro" by hormones on the cell surfaces of the ovarian epithelium of the chick embryo, in relation to the growth of the left ovary and atrophy of the right one. Explants of both ovaries from embryos at 7 to 19 days of development were separately cultured for 4 days in MEM with 10% of fetal bovine serum (control), and plus 17-beta-estradiol, testosterone propionate, progesterone, FSH, LH or hCG added individually to cultures (experimental). The cultures were processed for their structural, ultrastructural and cytochemical study. In control cultures, membrane differentiations and mucosubstances were similar in both ovaries and at all ages to those in ovo. 17-beta-estradiol produced a greater development of microvilli, junctional complexes and mucin in the epithelial cells and interdigitations in the germ cells of the left ovary, while in the right gonad there was cell regression. Testosterone and progesterone evoked in the left gonad a response similar to that obtained with the estrogen, whereas in the right ovary no changes were observed with respect to controls. FSH led to cellular regression in both ovaries. Finally, with LH or hCG the changes produced in the left ovary were similar to those induced by the estrogen, and in the right one an increase of membrane differentiations and of mucosubstances related to them was found in comparison to controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)