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Effects of Aging on Ovarian Fecundity in Terms of the Incidence of Apoptotic Granulosa Cells

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Abstract

Purpose: The objective was to determine the effects of women'sage on the ovarian fecundity as assessed by the incidenceof apoptotic granulosa cells.

Methods: Twenty-eight normo-ovulatory women underwentovulation induction for standard IVF. The husbands of thesewomen showed severe male infertility factors. The womenwere divided into four groups according to their ages. Womenunderwent follicle aspiration after the administration ofhuman menopausal gonadotropin plus human chorionicgonadotropin. The nuclei of granulosa cells were examinedby using fluorescence microscopy, and the incidence of apoptotic granulosa cells was tabulated.

Results: Granulosa cells in the older women revealed asignificant increase in the number of apoptotic cells. Thenumber of total oocytes and the number of mature oocytesobtained significantly decreased with age. However, endometrial thickness and follicular estradiol, progesterone, andfree testosterone levels were not significantly different amongfour different age groups.

Conclusions: Age increases apoptotic changes in granulosacells and consequently decreases the ovarian fecundity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamagata University, School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan

    Seyed Homayoon Sadraie, Hidekazu Saito, Tomoko Kaneko, Takakazu Saito & Masahiko Hiroi

  2. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid, Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Evin, Tehran, Iran

    Seyed Homayoon Sadraie

  3. department of obstetrics and gynecology, yamagata university, school of medicine, 2–2–2 iida-nishi, yamagata, 990–9585, Japan

    Hidekazu Saito

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  1. Seyed Homayoon Sadraie
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  2. Hidekazu Saito
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  4. Takakazu Saito
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  5. Masahiko Hiroi
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Sadraie, S.H., Saito, H., Kaneko, T. et al. Effects of Aging on Ovarian Fecundity in Terms of the Incidence of Apoptotic Granulosa Cells. J Assist Reprod Genet 17, 168–173 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009422323306

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009422323306

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