Relative luteinizing hormone-stimulable adenylyl cyclase of the preovulatory follicle: a predictor of ovulation in the domestic hen.

The regulation of the ovulatory cycle of the hen (Gallus domesticus) is an enigma. The hen's ovulatory cycle is approximately 26 h in length. She lays an egg each day at a progressively later time. The hen then skips a day, resets her "clock", and a new sequence is started. We investigated if the ovary regulates the ovulatory cycle. Our biologic endpoint was the measurement of basal and luteinizing hormone (LH)-stimulable adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity in granulosa layers of the largest (F1) and second largest (F2) follicles. F1 and F2 follicles were obtained at lights off on nights before the first (C1; n = 7), second (C2; n = 7), or terminal ovulation (CT; n = 5) or the night before the day when no ovulation was expected (Cskip; n = 6). F1 and F2 follicles removed on C1, C2, CT, and Cskip had been these specific follicles for 32 h, 12 h, 10 h, and 8 h, respectively. Mean basal activity (pmol/min/mg protein) for the follicles was: C1 = 27.2, C2 = 44.1, CT = 60.5, and Cskip = 68.7. No significant differences were found in LH-stimulable AC activities of these F1 follicles. Relative LH (expressed as fold increase over basal) stimulation was significantly correlated (P less than 0.001) with maturity of the F1 follicle (C1 greater than C2 greater than CT greater than Cskip). No differences in AC activity were found for the F2 follicles whether they were C1, C2, CT or Cskip. For the Cskip, relative LH AC activity for the F1 follicle (2.8) was similar to that for the F2 follicle (2.7).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)