Apoptosis in ovarian granulosa cells of cattle: Morphological features and clearance by homologous phagocytosis

CAROU MC; CRUZANS PR; MARURI A; STOCKERT JC; LOMBARDO DM

ACTA HISTOCHEMICA

ELSEVIER GMBH, URBAN & FISCHER VERLAG

Lugar: ALEMANIA; Año: 2015 vol. 117 p. 92 - 103

0065-1281

Apoptosis is involved in many physiological processes of the ovary, such as recruitment of prenatal germcells, follicular atresia, ovulation, and luteolysis. Based on the need for the involvement of phagocyticcells to achieve apoptosis clearance and that follicular atresia is triggered by weak apoptotic stimuli, wepostulate that granulosa cells engullng apoptotic corpses (ACs) must carry out this macrophagic process.Since apoptosis was early defined in terms of morphological aspects, here we describe apoptosis inducedby a GnRH analog (leuprolide acetate, LA) at histological level on bovine granulosa cells (primary culture,CPGB, and an established cell line, BGC-1). We observed two main types of apoptosis. In type A, thewhole cell or most of it is compacted into a single large AC that is then engulfed by neighboring cellsor simply detached. In type B, small portions of cells, either with or without nuclear material, becomeACs that are also phagocytosed. Apoptosis and homologous phagocytosis were confirmed by TUNEL andimmunocytochemistry for Bax and active caspase 3. Induction of apoptosis was significant in BGC-1 cellstreated for 24 h with 100 nM LA. CPGB cells showed two types of response with different doses of LA.Fetal calf serum was necessary to find apoptosis induced by LA.