The expression of visfatin in ovary and the changes of IFN-γ in peripheral blood were detected by the immunohistochemical method and the double antibody sandwich ELISA test method to investigate the distribution situation of visfatin in ovary and its regulatory effect on the development of mouse ovarian follicle. Our research found that visfatin positive cells mainly located in the follicle cell layer of ovary in different developmental stages. The strongly positive staining be seen in the cells of the granular layer of growing follicle, the positive cells were numerous and compressed, and the cells of the granular layer of mature follicle also showed significantly positive reaction though their amount was fewer. Visfatin positive cells rarely expressed and were weakly positive in oocytes, and it lacked in germinal epithelium, theca folliculi, follicular matrix and atretic follicle. The statistical results showed that the visfatin level of the control group was not significantly different with that of the protein group or the antibody group in the peripheral blood, while the protein group was significantly different with antibody group (P<0.05). The above results suggested that visfatin positive cells widely expressed in the grained layer of ovarian follicle in different development stages, which shows it links with the development of follicular. The effect of visfatin on the level of IFN-γ in periphery blood tips the role of visfatin in regulating the development of follicles.

Key words: ELISA, IFN-γ, Immunohistochemistry, Ovaries, Visfatin