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Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Whole Ovary Immunofluorescence, Clearing, and Multiphoton Microscopy for Quantitative 3D Analysis of the Developing Ovarian Reserve in Mouse
Published on: September 3, 2021
Does inositol ratio orchestrate the fate of ovarian follicles?
Vittorio Unfer1, Gianpiero Forte2
1Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00161 Rome, Italy and EGOI, the Experts Group On Inositol in basic and clinical research.
Abstract:
The ratio of myo-inositol (MI) to d-chiro-inositol (DCI) seems to regulate the steroidogenesis in recruited follicles. While MI favors the increase of estrogens, DCI contributes to an androgenic environment, either by stimulating the biosynthesis of testosterone or by reducing its conversion to estradiol. Based on available evidence, we put forward the hypothesis that the different MI:DCI ratios influence the selection process, determining the dominant follicle and the follicles that will undergo atresia. We also suggest that the MI:DCI ratio may be regulated by follicles' intrinsic characteristics, which possibly drive the cohort recruitment at each ovarian cycle.
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