Angiotensin II: an intraovarian regulatory peptide.

Mammalian ovarian follicles contain the enzymes and prohormones necessary to elaborate the active octapeptide hormone angiotensin II. In the rat ovary, angiotensin II receptors are located primarily in the theca interna and granulosa cell layers of a discrete subpopulation of follicles. Angiotensin II stimulates both androgen and estrogen secretion from rat ovarian slices. These findings suggest an autocrine/paracrine role for angiotensin II in ovarian follicular development.