The effect of neonatal maternal separation on the gelatinases activity of mouse ovarian follicles during in vitro culture

Background: The critical role of the early life environment in the normal growth and development is identified.Objective: This study investigated the effect of neonatal maternal separation on the gelatinases activity of mouse ovarian follicles during in vitro culture.Materials and Methods: Female infants of NMRI mice immediately after their birth randomly allocated into two groups: maternal separation group (MS; separated from the dams for 6h per day from postnatal day 2 through 16) and control group (undisturbed over the 16 days). The litters were autopsied and isolated preantral follicles were in vitro cultured for 12 days. The developmental competence and gelatinase activity, the gene expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, 9) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1, 2) were evaluated by zymogeraphy and real time qPCR respectively.Results: There were significant differences between the two groups in the developmental competence, Follicles of MS groups showed a lower rate of growth, survival, antrum formation, ovulation and oocyte maturation than those of control group. The gelatinolytic activities were significantly lower in MS group compared with those of control groups. Furthermore, the gene expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 in MS group compared with those of the control group significantly decreased. By contrast, the gene expression levels of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 significantly increased in MS group compared with those of the control group.Conclusion: MS as a stressor agent disrupt developmental competence of mouse ovarian follicles by changing in the gelatinase activity.

کلیدواژه ها:

Social stress ، Ovarian follicle ، Gelatinase activity