Figure 3.

VEGF and LH action on TNF production by mid CL cells, after a 24 h stimulation. Stimulation dose for VEGF 50 ng/mL and for LH 10 ng/mL. Bars represent mean ± SEM. Asterisks indicate significant differences (**P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001). Luteal tissue and venous blood from jugular vein were collected after mortem at the local abattoir from randomly designated cyclic Lusitano mares. The luteal structures were classified in different luteal stages (early, mid, and late CL) as previously described [72, 82]. All methodologies for luteal cells isolation and culture, culture medium analysis by enzymatic immuno assay, and statistical analysis were recently described in detail [72].