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The proportions of follicles in the early primary stage of development in untreated and recombinant mouse KITL-treated (50 ng/ml and 150 ng/ml) ovaries were not significantly different from each other. Despite a trend toward increased number, there was no significant difference in the proportions of primary and preantral follicles with 50 ng/ml recombinant mouse KITL. However, treatment with 150 ng/ml recombinant mouse KITL significantly (P < 0.05) increased the proportions of primary and preantral follicles (15.7% 6 1.8% and 8.6% 6 1.4%, respectively), compared with untreated cultured ovaries (5.0% 6 0.9% and 2.3% 6 0.5%, respectively) (Fig. 8). The addition of KITL-neutralizing antibody completely negated the follicle development induced by recombinant mouse KITL (Fig. 8). These data are consistent with KITL having an effect on both primordial follicle recruitment and the progression of follicles into later developmental stages in mice. Effects of Culture and Recombinant Mouse KITL Treatment on Oocyte Growth in Mouse Ovaries Mouse oocytes were measured and scored for developmental stage in order to determine the effects of culture and recombinant mouse KITL treatment on oocyte growth. The culture process itself induced oocyte growth in mouse ovaries, but only at the primordial stage of development.