The role of glucocorticoids in ovarian development of sleep deprived rats

Sleep deprivation (SD) adversely affects female reproductive function. In this study, we investigated the role of glucocorticoids in ovarian development in sleep deprived rats. Female rats were subjected to SD for 1–4 days. Concentrations of serum estradiol and corticosterone were assessed. Betamethasone (BET) and/or recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were administered to 21-day-old female rats for 2 days to evaluate ovarian status for follicular development. Intact preantral follicles were mechanically dissected from the rat's ovaries and cultured for 72 h with or without FSH in the presence or absence of BET to evaluate follicular development. SD led to a significant difference in serum estradiol concentrations between the sham and SD groups, and corticosterone concentrations were significantly elevated in groups with more than 2 days of SD (P