The Effect of Steroid Hormones on Ovarian Follicle Development

Ovarian follicular cell undergoes extensive proliferation and differentiation during the period that the follicle evolved from the primordial state to its ovulatory phase and then corpus luteum status. During this process, different and various levels of steroid hormones in follicular fluid, or obtained from circulation and adjacent cells as granulosa and theca cells, or from environment and diet will all affect the process of follicular growth and development. Differential steroid hormones might have differential effects on ovarian folliculogenesis via the effect on granulosa cell growth and follicular fluid formation that involves cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis within the follicle. In this chapter we further discuss the role of various steroid hormones such as estrogens, progesterone, and androgens on ovarian follicular growth and development. Various stages of follicle development that might be disturbed by the steroid hormones are also discussed in this chapter.