[Follicular maturation in the swine. Changes in the protein secretion pattern during follicular growth]

The formation of fluid, maturation and follicular differentiation are physiological processes unknown to this date. Therefore, changes in the electrophoretic pattern of proteins and glycoproteins in different states of maturation were studied, as well as the volume and protein concentration. Follicular fluid was collected from 43 follicles with a diameter of 2 mm., 45 follicles with a diameter of 5 mm. and 49 of 9 mm. The average of the concentration of protein for the 2 mm. follicles was 106 +/- 56.3 mg/ml of follicular fluid, for the 5 mm. ones 68.3 +/- 37.1 mg/ml and the 9 mm. ones had 52.9 +/- 21.3 mg/ml. In the protein and glycoproteins characterized by electrophoresis, a consistent pattern of 3 bands was found, and none were PAS positive in the 2 mm. follicles. In the 5 mm. follicles a 10 band pattern was found, of which 1 was PAS positive. In the last plane, the 9 mm. pattern was 12 and 2 respectively. The average value of follicular fluid was 5.3 +/- 1.8 microliters, for the 5 and 9 mm. it was 57 mu 25 microliters and 190 +/- 77 microliters respectively. Statistical analysis between volume and size show a highly significant correlation, thus suggesting the use of one of them to extrapolate the other.