Abstract：
In female animals of different species, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by follicular granulosa cells and has been associated with the ovarian follicle pool. Because concentration of AMH in plasma of ovary-intact female cats is apparently more variable than previously assumed, we have analysed AMH concentration in blood of cats (n = 93) presented for routine ovariectomy and assessed ovarian histology and AMH protein expression in the surgically removed ovaries. We hypothesised that AMH is synthesized only in preantral and small antral follicles and that plasma AMH concentration reflects the antral follicle count (AFC). Corpora lutea were detected in 35% of the female cats, whereas plasma progesterone concentration was ≥1 ng/mL in 57% of the cats. Follicular cysts were present in 15 cats (16%). Positive immunostaining for AMH protein was detected in close to all primordial and antral follicles, ovarian cysts, 70% of corpora lutea and 28% of atretic follicles. Concentration of AMH in plasma averaged 6.8 ± 0.5 ng/mL (range 1.3-21.7 ng/mL). The AFC increased with increasing AMH concentration with a moderate positive correlation between AFC and AMH (r = 0.286, p < 0.01). Plasma AMH concentration was not affected by season or cats\' age, weight, stage of the estrous cycle and presence of follicular cysts. In conclusion, AMH protein is expressed in all endocrine structures of the cat ovary. While AMH is a marker for the presence of ovarian tissue, its usefulness to assess ovarian function in individual female cats is of limited value.
摘要：
在不同物种的雌性动物中，抗苗勒管激素（AMH）由卵泡颗粒细胞产生，并与卵巢卵泡池有关。因为AMH在卵巢完整的雌性猫血浆中的浓度显然比以前假设的更多，我们分析了接受常规卵巢切除术的猫(n=93)血液中的AMH浓度,并评估了手术切除卵巢的卵巢组织学和AMH蛋白表达.我们假设AMH仅在腔前和小腔卵泡中合成，并且血浆AMH浓度反映了腔卵泡计数（AFC）。在35%的母猫中检测到黄氏下脚料,而57％的猫的血浆孕酮浓度≥1ng/mL。15只猫（16％）存在卵泡囊肿。在所有原始卵泡和窦卵泡附近检测到AMH蛋白的免疫染色阳性，卵巢囊肿,70%的黄体和28%的闭锁卵泡。血浆中AMH的浓度平均为6.8±0.5ng/mL（范围为1.3-21.7ng/mL）。AFC随着AMH浓度的增加而增加，AFC与AMH之间呈中度正相关（r=0.286，p<0.01）。血浆AMH浓度不受季节或猫年龄的影响，体重,发情周期的阶段和卵泡囊肿的存在。总之,AMH蛋白在猫卵巢的所有内分泌结构中表达。虽然AMH是卵巢组织存在的标志，它对评估个体母猫卵巢功能的价值有限。
