Growth hormone and its receptor in human ovaries from fetuses and adults

Objective: To investigate the presence of growth hormone (GH) and its receptor (GH-R) in early developing follicles. Design: Immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization study. Setting: Major tertiary care and referral academic centers. Patient(s): Ten ovarian samples from adults/girls aged 6-38 years and from 10 fetuses of women undergoing second and third trimester pregnancy terminations. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization on paraffin sections of human ovaries from fetuses and women/girls. Result(s): The proteins and the mRNA transcripts for GH and GH-R were detected in oocytes, granulosa (GC), and stroma cells from both sources (fetuses and women/girls), with low staining intensity only in a portion of the fetal GC. Conclusion(s): This is the first report of the expression of GH-R in human ovaries from fetuses as well as women/girls and of GH in human fetal ovaries. Be that as it may, further experiments should be conducted to elucidate if indeed GH is involved in the initiation of human primordial follicular growth.