Growth, maturation, and ovulation of ovarian follicles relies upon a complex interaction between pituitary, gonadotropins, ovarian steroids, and their respective issue receptors in the follicles found within the ovary. We have, used the sheep as a model system to examine the role that luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, testosterone, androsteinedione, and their respective tissue receptors, play in the growth and development of pre-ovulatory and atretic ovarian follicles. These studies were designed to examine the induction of gonadotropin and steroid receptors in theca and graulosa cells of atretic and pre-ovulatory follicles and determine how these changes influenced eventual disposition of the follicle, i.e. atresia, or ovulation. The goal of these studies was to more fully understand the mechanism(s) responsible for the selection of a single follicle, from the many that populate an ovary during any estrous cycle, that will respond to the preovulatory LH surge and ovulate.

More recently, interest has been developed in examining the role that ovarian-derived peptide hormones (inhibin) and various growth factors may play in the ovary and more specifically, within the preovulatory follicle itself. In addition, these studies have led to an interest in the effect of gonadal steroid hormones and the interaction of their respective tissue receptors on the growth of endocrine sensitive tumors and the in vitro growth of cell lines derived form those tumors. An integral part of this research an integral part of this research has been the development of ligand assay procedures for the measurement of steroid hormones in blood, tissue, and other fluids and the quantitation of tissue levels of membrane-bound protein hormone receptors and the cytosolic and nuclear steroid hormone receptors.

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