Amounts of selected coagulation factors in pre- and post-mortem follicularfluid are similar and do not correlate with molecular mass

This study was designed to evaluate the amounts of coagulation factors and to determine whether the protein profile in pre-ovulatory ovarian follicula r fluid aspirated from ovaries collected from mares at slaughter are repres entative of that in follicular fluid collected from live animals. The prote ins evaluated included, (i) albumin, ceruloplasmin and fibronectin, (ii) th e procoagulant plasma proteins, Factor V (FV), Factor VII (FVII), Factor X (FX) and prothrombin, and (iii) the anticoagulant plasma proteins, antithro mbin and alpha 2-macroglobulin. The amounts of the individual proteins were similar in both types of follicular fluid. There was no correlation betwee n the activity of FV, FVII, FX or prothrombin in follicular fluid and their molecular size although a correlation was found for the other proteins. Th ese results suggest that the procoagulant proteins in follicular fluid are not likely derived from plasma. The total protein content of follicular flu id samples collected from both sources was similar and the results determin ed with the Biuret, Lowry and Biorad methods were also not significantly di fferent (P>0.05). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.