Effect of intraperitoneal injection of human chorionic gonadotropin on the growth of primordial follicles in mice at 10 days postpartum

  • LIU Jiayu ,
  • CHEN Xiao ,
  • SHI Ruili ,
  • HAO Xiaoqiong
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  • Department of Physiology, Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014040, China

Received date: 2025-06-09

  Online published: 2026-04-22

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effects of high-concentration human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on ovarian development and follicular apoptosis in mice. Methods: Twenty healthy female mice at 10 days postpartum were selected and randomly divided into the HCG injection group (n=10) and the control group (n=10) using a random number table method. Mice in the HCG injection group were intraperitoneally injected with 0.1 mL of 5 IU HCG, while those in the control group were injected with an equal volume of normal saline. The injections were administered continuously for 3 days. Ovarian tissues were collected at 12 hours after the last injection. Subsequent analyses included preparation of ovarian sections, grading and counting of follicles, detection of the transcriptional levels of ovarian cell apoptosis-related genes (Bax, Bcl2, and caspase-3), as well as determination of the protein expression levels of Bax and Bcl2. Results: The results of HE staining and counting showed that, compared with the control group, the number of primordial follicles in the HCG injection group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), while the count of growing follicles (primary and secondary follicles) was significantly increased (P<0.05). Meanwhile, in the ovarian tissues of the HCG injection group, the transcriptional levels of apoptosis-related genes Bax, Bcl2, and caspase-3, as well as the translational levels of Bax and Bcl2, were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05). Conclusion: After injection of high concentration of HCG, the apoptosis of primordial follicles in mice decreased and may promote the activation of primordial follicles into growing follicles.

Cite this article

LIU Jiayu , CHEN Xiao , SHI Ruili , HAO Xiaoqiong . Effect of intraperitoneal injection of human chorionic gonadotropin on the growth of primordial follicles in mice at 10 days postpartum[J]. Journal of Baotou Medical College, 2026 , 42(2) : 36 -40 . DOI: 10.16833/j.cnki.jbmc.2026.02.007

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