This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.The ovulatory gonadotropin surge initiates events in the primate follicle that are required for oocyte release and the subsequent formation of the corpus luteum (CL). One event critical for follicle rupture includes the conversion of arachidonic acid (AA) into prostaglandins (PGs) via the actions of the enzyme prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2). The other pathways of AA metabolism that result in the formation of leukotrienes and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), however, have been poorly characterized with regard to their role in ovulation and ovarian function in general. This research serves to determine whether the ovary possesses the capacity to synthesize (via the cytochrome P450 epoxygenases; CYPs) or metabolize EETs (by soluble epoxide hydrolase; EPHX2), as well as to determine the role EETs play in ovarian biology. Rhesus monkeys are being used in these studies as they are an excellent surrogate model for women and share several features with humans including a similar interval between the onset of the gonadotropin surge and ovulation.
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