Stimulatory effect of luteinizing hormone upon relaxin secretion by cultured porcine preovulatory granulosa cells.

Relaxin, a peptide hormone capable of causing connective tissue alterations, is produced by the corpus luteum and traditionally considered a hormone of pregnancy. We have cultured granulosa cells from preovulatory porcine follicles and have found that these non-pregnancy associated cells secrete relaxin, and that luteinizing hormone, which stimulates ovulation, enhances relaxin secretion by cells from large preovulatory follicles. These results suggest that relaxin secreted prior to ovulation may have a local ovarian effect, perhaps facilitating ovulation.