Conclusions
Gonadotropin surge leads to transient CCL11/CCR3 axis upregulation in the ovarian theca-interstitial layer, suggesting that it is involved in periovulatory physiological processes by affecting follicular vessels.
Results
Real-time RT-PCR analyses revealed transient CCL11 mRNA upregulation 6 hr after hCG treatment. Immunohistochemical staining of serial ovarian sections demonstrated overlapping expression of CCL11, CCR3 and CD31 endothelial cell marker in the theca-interstitial layer at 10 hr after hCG treatment. In vitro 3-dimensional cultures of periovulatory ovarian tissues demonstrated that treatment with anti-CCL11 neutralizing antibody significantly decreased CD31 transcript. Conclusions: Gonadotropin surge leads to transient CCL11/CCR3 axis upregulation in the ovarian theca-interstitial layer, suggesting that it is involved in periovulatory physiological processes by affecting follicular vessels.