Steroid hormone formation in vitro by human ovarian follicles with different structures
Suzuki, A.; Mori, T.; Fujita, Y.; Murata, M.; Kitagawa, M.
Acta Obstetrica et Gynaecologica Japonica 23(3): 207-215
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-6330 PMID: 1026050 Document Number: 109406
Steroid biosynthesis from acetate-14C in vitro was studied using slices of a single ovarian follicle from each of 3 patients pretreated with human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) alone or in combination with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and from 1 patient in the preovulatory phase of the cycle. Incorporations of radioactive acetate into 9 steroids including progestogens, androgens and estrogens were assessed by reverse dilution technique with recrystallization to constant specific activity. The only major product was androstenedione in the HMG-stimulated follicles, which showed structures of ripening follicles with moderate proliferation of granulosa cells. Incorporations into estrogens reached approximately 20% of the total incorporations. Estradiol-17.beta., progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione were the major steroids in the HMG plus hCG-stimulated follicle, which showed marked proliferation of granulosa cells with hyperemia in the thecal cell layer. Incorporation into estrogens increased up to 37.1% of the total incorporation, which was a comparable rate to that in the preovulatory follicle. It was inferred that androstenedione was a major steroid other than estrogens synthesized in the maturing follicle, while C21 steroids other than estrogens were produced in the preovulatory human follicle.