This study was conducted to investigate effects of short-term nutritional supplementation on concentrations of reproductive hormones in follicular fluid and on mRNA abundance in granulosa cells (GCs) during the luteal phase of ewes. Eighteen ewes were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups (n = 9, each group). All the ewes were subjected to estrous synchronization using a Controlled Intravaginal Releasing Device (CIDR). From the second to the eleventh day of estrous synchronization, ewes were fed a diet with a relatively greater (treatment group) or a maintenance (control group) energy content. Samples of follicular fluid and GCs were collected from antral follicles of estrous ewes after CIDR removal. The results indicate mean FSH concentration of fluid in small follicles and mean LH concentrations of fluid in large follicles of the ewes in the treatment group were greater (P < 0.05) than that of ewes in the control group. Follicular fluid E2 concentrations were directly related (P < 0.05) to follicular diameter. The ewes of the treatment group had greater (P < 0.05), compared with the control group, abundances of Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR) in small and medium follicles, and (P<0.05) Luteinizing Hormone Receptor (LHR), Steroid Acute Regulatory Protein (STAR), cytochrome P450 (CYP17A1, CYP19A1) enzyme and Estrogen Receptor (ESR1) in large follicles. The results of this study provide evidence for a potential mechanism by which short-term nutritional supplementation improves follicular development possibly because of increased expression of steroid synthesis-regulating genes in large follicles.
Keywords: Ewe; Follicular growth; Gene expression; Nutrition.
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