최근 난포에서 GnRH와 그 수용체의 발현이 확인되면서 GnRH가 국소적으로 난소의 기능을 조절하고,특 히 과립세포의 세포자연사(apoptosis)를 유도하는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 그러나 황체에서 GnRH와 그 수용체의 발현과 기능에 대해서는 잘 알려져 있지 않다. 따라서 본 연구는 임신한 흰쥐의 황체세포에서 GnRH와 그 수용체가 발현되는지를 확인하고, 또한 GnRH가 황체세포의 세포자연사를 직접적으로 유발시킬 수 있는지를 알아보고자 시행하였다. 임

Recent studies have demonstrated that apoptotic cell death plays an important role in the mechanism underlying follicular atresia and luteolysis. However, the mechanisms responsible for initiating these processes have not been elucidated. In in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs, it is highly possible that continuous and repeated administration of FSH/hMG and GnRH agonists for the usage of ovarian hyperstimulation may induce apoptotic death of granulosa cells leading to atresia in the human ovarian follicles. The present study was performed to investigate whether FSH/hMG and GnRh agonists used for a longer period in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation has any effect on the apoptosis of granulosa-luteal (GL) cells obtained from hyperstimulated ovaries. To examine apoptotic cell death in the GL cells, cells were stained with acridie orange followed by observed in some of GL cells. Similar but distinct staining of apoptotic GL cells was observed when the cells were examined by using in situ TUNEL method. The healthy-looking cells with normal nuclear morphology were not stained, whereas cells with pyknotic nuclei or with apoptotic nuclei were intensively stained. After examining the ultrastructural features of GL cells by TEM, it was confirmed that the majority of cells seemed to have normal nuclei while GL cells undergoing apoptotic cel death were rarely found. The DNA extracted from GL cells showed a typical pattern of fragmentation following DNA electrophoretic analysis. We have confirmed that the apoptosis occurs in granulosa-luteal cells obtained from hyperstimulated ovaries. Technically, in situ apoptosis detection method is simple and reproducible and is well suited to identify the quality of oocytes retrieved from hyperstimulated ovaries.