Comparison of the steroidogenic response of luteinized granulosa cells from rhesus monkeys to luteinizing hormone and chorionic gonadotropin.

The dynamics of the steroidogenic response of nonprimate gonadal cells to gonadotropins suggests that the biologic action of pituitary LH differs from that of placental CG. To compare the response to LH and CG in primate species, luteinized granulosa cells (LGCs) obtained from rhesus monkeys following follicle stimulation were cultured in vitro. The pattern and levels of progesterone (P) produced during culture was influenced by the concentration (0-10%) and type (fetal bovine or macaque) of serum in the medium and whether LGCs were plated on plastic or extracellular matrix from bovine corneal endothelial cells. After 2-3 days of culture, LGCs were exposed acutely (15-30 min) or chronically (6 h) to 1 or 100 ng/ml human LH (hLH, NIH 1-2) or hCG (CR123), 50 micrograms/ml ovine LH (oLH, NIH-oLH-25), or incubated in the absence of gonadotropins (controls). After the first 15-30 min, the media were changed at 30-min intervals. Both acute and chronic exposure to hLH, hCG, and oLH increased (p less than 0.05) P concentrations above control levels within 15-30 min. There were no differences in the patterns or levels of P elicited by hLH or hCG over time for each treatment condition. Chronic exposure to 1 and 100 ng/ml hLH or hCG and 50 micrograms/ml oLH sustained P levels above that of controls for the 6-h interval. Acute exposure to 1 ng/ml hLH or hCG failed to maintain elevated P levels throughout the experiment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)