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Connective tissue breakdown in ovulation.

J F Woessner1, N Morioka, C Zhu

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101.

Steroids
|November 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Specific collagenase activity breaks down ovarian collagen, enabling ovulation. Inhibitors targeting collagenase and plasmin significantly block this process, highlighting their crucial roles in egg release.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Cellular Physiology

Background:

  • Ovulation requires the rupture of the ovarian follicle, necessitating the degradation of the extracellular matrix, particularly collagen.
  • The precise enzymatic mechanisms driving follicular rupture remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of collagenase activity in ovulation.
  • To explore the involvement of plasminogen activator and plasmin in procollagenase activation during ovulation.

Main Methods:

  • Immature rats were treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to induce ovulation.
  • Ovarian collagenase activity was measured following hormonal stimulation.
  • In vitro ovulation was induced using luteinizing hormone (LH) and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine, and the effects of collagenase and plasmin inhibitors were assessed.

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Main Results:

  • Collagenase activity in ovarian tissue increased approximately five-fold 8 hours after hCG administration, preceding ovulation.
  • A synthetic collagenase inhibitor blocked ovulation by 70% when administered during induced ovulation.
  • Tranexamic acid (a plasmin inhibitor) and a specific plasmin inhibitor (D-Val-Phe-Lys-chloromethyl ketone) also inhibited ovulation by approximately 70%.

Conclusions:

  • Specific collagenase activity is essential for the breakdown of the follicular collagen meshwork, facilitating ovulation.
  • The plasminogen activator/plasmin system plays a critical role in activating procollagenase, a key step in the ovulation process.
  • Pharmacological inhibition of collagenase or plasmin can effectively prevent ovulation.