Fig. 6.

Effect of various steroid hormones on relative levels of Npr2 mRNA in cultured COCs. COCs isolated from the ovaries of eCG-primed mice were cultured in milrinone (10 μm)-containing medium and treated without (control) or with 100 nm various steroid hormones for 24 h. Cumulus cells were collected at the end of culture, and the levels of Npr2 mRNA were measured. The mean value in COCs freshly isolated from eCG-primed mice was set at 1, and other levels are shown relative to the fresh group. Bars show the mean ± sem of three independent experiments. C, Control without any steroids; E, estradiol; Test, testosterone; P, progesterone. Relative levels not connected by the same letter are significantly different (P < 0.05).