Artículo de revista
Differential steroidogenic response of human luteal cell subpopulations
Fecha
1996Registro en:
Human Reproduction vol 11 DO 8 pp 1609-1614, 1996
02681161
10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a019455
Autor
Carrasco, I.
Troncoso, J. L.
Devoto, Luigi
Vega Blanco, María Margarita
Institución
Resumen
The differentia] capacity for steroid synthesis of human
luteal cell subpopulations was investigated in a well defined
cell culture system. Corpora lutea were enzymatically
dissociated, and the two cell types were obtained by a
discontinous Percoll gradient Both cell types were cultured
for 24 h with dibutyryl cAMP (1 mM), oestradiol (2.5 pM)
and testosterone (1 MM). Steroid production was measured
in the culture media and aromatase activity for both cell
type subpopulations was also determined. Basal production
of progesterone, oestradiol and testosterone was significantly
greater in large cells than that in small cells (P <
0.05). Nevertheless, a greater response of small cells to
several in-vitro treatments was observed. Thus, synthesis of
progesterone, oestradiol and testosterone was significantly
stimulated in these cells (P < 0.05) by dibutyryl cAMP.
Interestingly, a 33-fold increase of progesterone production
was also observed in the large luteal cell subpopulation.
When oestradiol was added to the culture media, a 36%
decrease of progesterone production (P < 0.05) by small
cells was obtained, while progesterone synthesis by large
cells was not significantly affected. Testosterone treatment
of cells enhanced oestradiol production by both cell subtypes
(P < 0.05), although the stimulatory action was
greater in the small cell cultures (5.9-fold). These data
indicate that the steroidogenic activity of the small cell
subpopulation is highly dependent on endocrine and paracrine
stimulatory mechanisms, while large cells possess a
greater intrinsic steroidogenic capacity.