In vitro effects of thyroid hormones on gonadotropin-induced estradiol-17 beta secretion by ovarian follicles of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri.

Ovarian follicles isolated from rainbow trout during early exogenous vitellogenesis were used to study the in vitro effects of thyroid hormones on salmon gonadotropin (GtH)-induced estradiol-17 beta (E2) secretion. Triiodothyronine (T3) alone did not alter E2 secretion but T3 in the presence of GtH (0.5 micrograms/ml) modified E2 secretion according to a biphasic dose-response curve. Maximum E2 secretion occurred at 1.9 x 10(-8) M T3; a concentration of 3.0 x 10(-7) M was inhibitory. T3 was more potent in stimulating GtH-induced E2 secretion than thyroxine. The stimulatory and inhibitory effects of T3 were consistent over a range of GtH concentrations (0.1-1.0 micrograms/ml). Cycloheximide (0.1-10 microM) decreased E2 secretion by GtH-treated follicles in a dose-dependent manner, but failed to overcome all the stimulatory effects of T3. Time course studies with follicles incubated with GtH, GtH + T3, GtH + cycloheximide, or GtH + T3 + cycloheximide indicated that T3 stimulation of GtH-induced E2 secretion occurs within 6 hr. It is concluded that thyroid hormones amplify the effects of GtH on E2 secretion by isolated ovarian follicles; at least a part of this effect does not require de novo protein synthesis.