Arikan, SYigit, AA2020-06-252020-06-252003closedAccess0921-4488https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-4488(02)00261-4https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12587/3154Experiments were conducted to investigate the size distribution of goat steroidogenic luteal cells throughout pregnancy. Corpora lutea were collected from very early (<6 weeks), early (6-8 weeks), middle (9-14 weeks) or late (15-18 weeks) stages of pregnancy. Luteal tissue was dissociated into single-cell suspension by enzyme treatments. Cells were stained for 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) activity, a marker for steroidogenic cells. The steroidogenic cells covered a wide spectrum of size ranging from 5 to 45 mum in diameter. There was a significant increase in mean cell diameter (P > 0.01) as pregnancy progressed. Mean diameter of 3beta-HSD positive cells increased from 14.73 +/- 0.35 mum in the corpus luteum of very early pregnancy to 24.20 +/- 0.45 mum in the corpus luteum of late pregnancy. The ratio of large (>20 mum in diameter) to small (5-20 mum in diameter) luteal cells was 0.28:1.0 in very early pregnancy, with the 7.5-15 mum cell size class being dominant. However, the ratio of large-to-small luteal cells was increased to 1.77:1.0 mum as pregnancy advanced and 25-35 mum cell sizes became predominant. It is likely that small luteal cells could develop into large cells as pregnancy progresses. Development of pregnancy is also associated with an increase in size of steroidogenic luteal cells. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessgoatcorpus luteum3 beta-HSDluteal cellspregnancyArticle47322723110.1016/S0921-4488(02)00261-42-s2.0-0037369298Q2WOS:000181212200007Q3