Urinary and Recombinant Follicle-Stimulating Hormone in Supporting Primate Follicular Development In Vitro

Urinary and recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are used clinically for ovarian stimulation. However, data on the efficacy of these two products are inconsistent. To examine the direct effects of urinary and recombinant FSH on follicular development and function, experiments were conducted using in vitro follicle maturation approach. Preantral follicles were isolated from ovaries of rhesus macaques and randomly assigned to three groups for individual culture, including recombinant human FSH alpha (rFSHa) and beta (rFSHb) and urinary human FSH (uFSH) supplementation. Follicle survival, growth, and cell-specific gene expression, as well as media estradiol, progesterone, and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations, were assessed. At week 5, antral follicle survival rates were higher in the uFSH group than rFSHa and rFSHb groups. Percentages of follicles with a diameter of >1 mm were greater in the uFSH than rFSHa group. Media concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, and AMH were comparable among groups. Bone morphogenetic protein 15 and growth differentiation factor 9 mRNA levels were higher in rFSHb-treated than rFSHa-treated follicles. Data suggest that, although in vitro follicle maturation can proceed despite FSH sources, urinary and recombinant protein preparations exhibit preferable effectiveness in supporting different aspects of folliculogenesis.