Human luteal cells have been reported to express human leukocyte antigen-DR and lymphocyte functional antigen-3 on the cell surface, suggesting physiological interaction between luteal cells and T-lymphocytes through the menstrual cycle into early pregnancy. To elucidate the role of peripheral lymphocytes on corpus luteum differentiation, the effect of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) ...

Ovarian follicles luteinize after ovulation, requiring structural and molecular remodeling along with exponential increases in steroidogenesis. Cholesterol substrates for luteal steroidogenesis are imported via scavenger receptor-BI (SR-BI) and the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor from circulating high-density lipoproteins and LDL. SR-BI mRNA is expressed in pig ovaries at all stages of f...

BACKGROUND In several species, considerably higher levels of estradiol-17 (E2) are synthesized in the CL. E2 has been suggested to participate in the regulation of luteal steroidogenesis and luteal cell morphology. In pregnant rats, several experiments have been carried out to examine the effects of inhibition of luteal E2 synthesis on CL structure and function. METHODS During days 12-15 of p...

Recent studies have shown that microgravity induces changes at the cellular level, including apoptosis. However, it is unknown whether microgravity affects luteal cell function. This study was performed to assess whether microgravity conditions generated by clinostat rotation induce apoptosis and affect steroidogenesis by luteal cells. Luteal cells isolated from the corpora lutea of Day 8 pregn...

To characterize the action of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin ( TCDD) during both the follicular and luteal phases of the ovarian cycle, the direct effect of TCDD was investigated in vitro using a system of primary monolayer cell culture. Granulosa and theca cells were collected from the preovulatory follicles and cultured as a co-culture, thus resembling follicles in vivo. Luteal cells wer...

The cessation of progesterone (P(4)) production (i.e. functional regression), arguably the key event in luteolysis of the primate corpus luteum (CL), is poorly understood. Previously, we found that genes encoding proteins involved in cholesterol uptake decreased, while those involved in cholesterol efflux (reverse cholesterol transport, RCT) increased in expression during spontaneous functional...

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of luteal macrophage conditioned medium (LMCM) on progesterone and estradiol production by cultured granulosa cells. Porcine granulosa cells were cultured for 48 h with or without LMCM in the absence or presence of 100 ng/ml LH, FSH or prolactin. Progesterone and estradiol concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Granulosa cells were a...

To determine whether prolactin affects both luteal and follicular production of testosterone and oestradiol, pseudopregnant rats, either intact or hypophysectomized on day 8, were injected daily between days 8 and 9 with 1.5 i.u. human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), 250 micrograms prolactin or a combination of both. Control rats were given vehicle. On day 9, blood was obtained from the ovarian ...