Mechanisms by which a phorbol ester and a diacylglycerol analog inhibit hen granulosa cell steroidogenesis

Expression and function of brain-derived neurotrophin factor and its receptor, TrkB, in ovarian follicles from the domestic hen (Gallus gallus domesticus)

This report summarizes patterns of mRNA expression for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) together with its high-affinity neurotrophin receptor trkB within the hen ovary during follicle development, describes hormonal mechanisms for the regulation of trkB gene expression and provides preliminary evidence for a novel function for BDNF-mediated TrkB signaling within the granulosa layer. Levels of BDNF mRNA in the thecal layer and of trkB mRNA within the granulosa cell layer increase coincident with entrance of the follicle into the preovulatory hierarchy. Localization of the BDNF mRNA transcript correlates with expression of BDNF protein within the theca interna of preovulatory follicles, while localization of trkB mRNA and protein occurs extensively within the granulosa cell layer of preovulatory follicles. This pattern of expression suggests a paracrine relationship between theca and granulosa cells for BDNF signaling via TrkB. Vasoactive intestinal peptide and gonadotropin treatments stimulate increases in levels of trkB mRNA within cultured granulosa cells derived from both prehierarchal and preovulatory follicles, and this response is increased by co-treatment with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. Finally, BDNF treatment of cultured granulosa cells from preovulatory follicles results in a modest, but significant, reduction in basal progesterone production, whereas this effect was reversed by k252a, an inhibitor of Trk kinase activity. These results support the proposals that BDNF functions as a paracrine signal in hen granulosa cells and that its physiological functions may include the modulation of steroidogenesis.

Bursal antisteroidogenic peptide alters the activity of steroidogenic enzymes in chicken granulosa cells

We have previously reported that a peptide from chicken bursa of Fabricius, bursal antisteroidogenic peptide (BASP), inhibits luteinizing hormone-stimulated progesterone biosynthesis by chicken ovarian granulosa cells. The objective of this study was to determine the site(s) of BASP inhibition within the steroidogenic pathway of chicken granulosa cells. The effects of BASP on key steroidogenic enzymes, including adenylyl cyclase (AC), phosphodiesterase, the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme complex and 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase were determined. Luteinizing hormone (10 ng/tube) stimulated a fivefold increase in granulosa cell progesterone production that was inhibited by BASP (0.06, 0.12 or 0.25 bursal equivalents) in a dose-dependent manner. Luteinizing hormone stimulated a sixfold increase in cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) formation, and this increase was potentiated by BASP in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, BASP stimulated cAMP formation in the absence of luteinizing hormone without affecting progesterone production. The AC activator forskolin (0.1 mM) stimulated a 4.5-fold increase in progesterone synthesis, which was inhibited by BASP. In the presence of forskolin. BASP increased cAMP formation in a dose-dependent manner. A fivefold increase in progesterone synthesis induced by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (1.0 mM) was inhibited by BASP. In the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, BASP increased cAMP formation in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol (250, 500, 1,000, or 2,500 ng/tube) or pregnenolone (50, 100, 200, or 500 ng/tube) resulted in up to 15- or 10-fold increases in progesterone production, respectively. Increasing concentrations of BASP caused a dose-dependent suppression of the conversion of 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol, but not pregnenolone, to progesterone. The inhibition of steroidogenesis by BASP is not associated with reduced cAMP levels, and BASP appears to strongly stimulate AC activity. In addition, these findings suggest that BASP may limit the availability of progesterone precursors by inhibiting the activity of the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme complex.

Triiodothyronine (T3) inhibition of growth hormone secretion by chicken pituitary cells in vitro

These studies examined the cellular basis for the inhibitory effects of triiodothyronine (T3) on growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF)-evoked growth hormone (GH) release from chicken anterior pituitary cells in vitro. A primary monolayer culture of anterior pituitaries from 4- to 8-week-old White Leghorn cockerels was performed as previously described by this laboratory. Following a 72-hr preincubation period, cells were washed and incubated (2 hr) with either secretagogues or media alone (control). T3 (20 ng/ml) or vehicle was added to cells during both the preincubation (48-72 hr) and incubation (2 hr period. Triiodothyronine reduced (P less than 0.05) GH release (ng/ml) in response to (1) GRF; (2) the adenylyl cyclase stimulator, forskolin; (3) the cAMP analog and protein kinase A activator, 8-bromo cAMP; and (4) the phorbol ester and protein kinase C activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Triiodothyronine reduced (P less than 0.05) the intracellular content of GH and total GH (released GH and intracellular GH) irrespectively of whether secretagogues were also present. When GH release was expressed as a percentage of total GH [released GH/(intracellular GH + released GH)], percentage GH released in response to GRF, or the protein kinase A, protein kinase C, or calcium pathway activators was not as great in T3-treated versus non-T3-treated cells. These data indicate that T3 inhibits GRF-evoked GH release by reducing the availability of intracellular stores of GH and by also inhibiting second messenger-stimulated GH release pathways.

Effect of several growth factors on plasminogen activator activity in granulosa and theca cells of the domestic hen

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of several growth factors on plasminogen activator (PA) activity in granulosa and theca cells collected from the largest preovulatory follicle in the hen ovary and to determine the involvement of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or protein kinase C, or both, in mediating the actions of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on granulosa PA activity. The granulosa cells were treated with increasing concentrations of: EGF (.33 to 16.4 nM); insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I, 2.61 to 131 nM); fibroblast growth factor (FGF, .15 to 7.5 nM); or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF, .02 to 1 nM). The treatments resulted in a dose-dependent increase in both cell-associated and secreted enzyme activity. The stimulatory effects of IGF-I (131 nM), however, were not mimicked with an equimolar concentration of the related peptide, insulin-like growth factor II. By contrast, theca cell PA activity was not significantly altered by EGF (16.4 nM), IGF-I (131 nM), FGF (7.5 nM), or PDGF (1 nM). Accumulation of cAMP was measured following exposure of granulosa cells to luteinizing hormone (LH, 10 ng, used as a positive control) or to EGF (16.4 and 164 nM) in the presence of .1 mM isobutylmethylxanthine. A 5-fold increase in cAMP levels was observed in response to LH; however, granulosa cell cAMP production was not altered by the presence of EGF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Modulation of hen granulosa cell steroidogenesis and plasminogen activator activity hy transforming growth factor alpha

Studies were conducted with chicken granulosa cells to evaluate the relative efficacy of human recombinant transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) versus murine epidermal growth factor (EGF) to affect cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation and progesterone production stimulated by luteinizing hormone (LH) or steroid output induced by a cAMP analogue, and to modulate plasminogen activator (PA) activity. Increasing concentrations of EGF (33-328 nM) and TGF alpha (0.04-18 nM) were found to inhibit cAMP formation stimulated by LH in a dose-dependent manner, with calculated half-maximal inhibitory doses (ID50's) of 97.1 and 0.27 nM, respectively. Similarly, a 470-fold difference in the ability of TGF alpha (ID50 = 0.13 nM) versus EGF (ID50 = 61.3 nM) to half-maximally suppress LH-induced progesterone production was observed in the same cells. Progesterone production stimulated by a cAMP analogue (8-bromo-cAMP, 1 mM) was also attenuated by EGF (ID50 = 75.9 nM) and TGF alpha (ID50 = 0.08 nM), suggesting a post-cAMP site of inhibition by these growth factors on steroidogenesis. Finally, a 260-fold to 330-fold difference in the efficacy of TGF alpha versus EGF to half-maximally stimulate cell-associated and secreted PA activity was observed. From these data, we propose that TGF alpha may serve an important role in regulating follicular growth and maturation in the domestic hen via its ability to affect granulosa cell steroidogenesis and plasminogen activator activity.