Amino acid and protein concentrations of human follicular fluid.

The amino acid and protein composition of human follicular fluid, obtained during surgery from women with polycystic ovaries, and of a simultaneously obtained sample of blood plasma were studied. In general, amino acid concentrations were higher in follicular fluid than in blood plasma: only the concentration of Cys was significantly lower in follicular fluid than in plasma, while Asp, Thr, Glu, Glu-NH2, Gly, Ala, and Met showed concentrations that were not significantly different in either biologic fluid. The concentration of basic amino acids, taken as group, was almost twice as high in follicular fluid as in plasma. The total protein concentration in follicular fluid was not significantly different from that in blood plasma. However, the follicular fluid albumin concentration was higher and globulin concentration lower than the respective concentrations in plasma. Polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis of follicular fluid showed some consistent differences, particularly in the alpha-globulin region, with the pattern observed in blood plasma. These findings are discussed in relation to the possible role of follicular fluid in capacitation and egg segmentation.