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Therefore, recombinant mouse KITL did not enhance the survival of follicles in neonatal mouse ovaries maintained in vitro, nor did KITL-neutralizing antibody promote follicular atresia. Effects of Culture and Recombinant Mouse KITL Treatment on the Distribution of Follicles in Mouse Ovaries The proportion of healthy follicles at each stage of development in preculture and cultured explants was quantified. Sections from preculture mouse ovaries contained 82.2% 6 3.3% primordial follicles, 17.0% 6 3.1% early primary follicles, 0.6% 6 0.2% primary follicles, and 0.3% 6 0.1% preantral follicles (Fig. 8). The culture process itself induced a considerable (P < 0.05) redistribution of follicles from the resting into the growing follicle pool. After 8 days of culture, the proportion of primordial follicles decreased to 33.0% 6 3.2%, and there was an increase in the number of early primary, primary, and preantral follicles to 59.7% 6 2.5%, 5.0% 6 0.9%, and 2.3% 6 0.5%, respectively (P < 0.05) (Fig. 8). To determine whether the observed spontaneous activation was induced by endogenously produced KITL, the proportions of follicles in untreated and KITL-neutralizing antibody-treated cultured ovaries were compared. FIG. 8. The distribution of follicle development in mouse ovaries. Ovaries were fresh tissue or had been cultured for 8 days under various treatment conditions. Values within follicle stages with different superscripts are significantly different at the 95% confidence interval. The insert is a representative image of in vitro-cultured mouse follicles. Original magnification X100.