The Role of Granulosa and Theca Cell Interactions in Ovarian Function

我们建立了一种培养系统，在该系统中，两种类型的卵泡壁细胞被允许附着在胶原膜的相对侧，以便直接观察细胞通讯，并使用该系统来探索颗粒细胞和卵泡膜细胞之间的相互作用在卵巢结构和功能中的作用。细胞的增殖和类固醇生成。在第二和第三系列实验中，研究了细胞通讯对促性腺激素的细胞反应和卵母细胞成熟的影响，我们发现这两种类型的卵泡细胞之间的通讯导致它们的形态、结构、生长和类固醇生成的相互调节，促性腺激素对卵泡壁中靶细胞的作用可以通过这些细胞之间的通讯来改变，与单独培养的颗粒细胞和卵泡膜细胞相比，共培养的细胞具有与体内生长卵泡壁细胞相似的形态和功能特征。因此，我们推测，这两种类型的卵泡细胞之间的相互作用是必不可少的，在维持原有的结构和功能的卵泡壁。

We developed a culture system in which two types of follicular wall cells were allowed to attach to opposite sides of a collagen membrane in order to observe cellular communication directly, and used it to explore the role of granulosa and theca cell interactions in ovarian structure and function.In the first series of the study, we explored the interaction between theca and granulosa cells on the morphology, proliferation and steroidogenesis of the cells. In the second and third series of experiments, effects of cellular communication on cellular response to gonadotropins and on oocyte maturation were investigated.We found that communication between these two types of follicular cells results in reciprocal modulation of their morphology, structure, growth, and steroidogenesis, that the actions of gonadotropins on target cells in the follicular wall can be modified by communication between these cells, and that signal(s) from theca cells stimulates the meiosis-arresting activity of granulosa cells.In contrast to granulosa and theca cells cultured alone, cells in coculture possessed morphological and functional characteristics similar to those of cells in the growing follicular wall in vivo. Therefore,we speculate that interactions between these two types of follicular cells is essential in the maintenance of original structure and function of the follicular wall.