Effects of Electroacupuncture on Ovarian Expression of the Androgen Receptor and Connexin 43 in Rats with Letrozole-Induced Polycystic Ovaries

Figure 6

Immunolocalization and expression of the androgen receptor and Connexin43 in the ovary of a control rat. (a-b) Expression and localization of the androgen receptor (AR) in control rat follicles. Positive AR immunostaining was mainly observed in the nuclei of cells at the different developmental stages and corpora lutea (a). Positive AR immunostaining was observed in the nuclei of granulosa cells and theca cells in the antral follicle (b). (c-d) Expression and localization of Cx43 in follicles of control rats. Cx43 was observed as punctuate staining on the borders of granulosa cells in preantral follicles, large antral follicles, preovulatory follicles, and corpora lutea (c). Cx43 displayed punctate to the linear expression on the borders of granulosa cells, between granulosa cells and theca cells, as well as between granulosa cells and oocyte in the preovulatory follicle of control ovary (d). The expression was shown in brown, and the nuclei were stained in blue. PoF, preovulatory follicle; AF, antral follicle; AS, antral space; PF, primary follicle; TC, theca cell; GC, granulosa cell; CL, corpus luteum. Scale bars represent 500 μm in (a) and (c). Scale bars represent 100 μm in (b) and (d).

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