Stanniocalcin 1 is a potential physiological modulator of steroidogenesis in the swine ovarian follicle

摘要

Granulosa cells, which surround and nurse the oocyte up to its complete maturation, play a central role in the function of the ovarian follicle (Woodruff and Shea 2007). Steroidogenesis, namely the synthesis of E2 and P4, is undoubtedly one of the events characterizing ovarian follicle development (Palermo 2007). Therefore, the studies aimed at unravelling the autocrine and/or paracrine mechanisms involved in the molecular regulation of these pathways deserve special attention. We have previously shown that swine granulosa cells express STC1 (Santini et al. 2007), a glycoproteic hormone identified in bony fish and subsequently demonstrated as a pleiotropic factor in mammals (Gerritsen and Wagner 2005). Recent data underline that STC1 is significantly involved in regulatory events in reproductive physiology (Li and Wong 2008).