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ABSTRACT
Specific binding sites for endothelin-1 (ET-1), a novel potent vasoconstrictor peptide, as well as the effects of ET-1 on cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), intracellular total inositol phosphate (IP) generation and steroidogenesis were studied in cultured porcine granulosa cells. Scatchard analysis of a binding study using 125I-labelled ET-1 indicated the presence of a single class of high-affinity binding sites with almost equal affinity for ET-1 and ET-3: the apparent dissociation constant was 0·59 nmol/l and the maximal binding capacity was 1·84 pmol/mg protein. Affinitylabelling of 125I-labelled ET-1 to the membranes using disuccinimidyl tartarate as a cross-linker revealed one major and one minor band with the apparent molecular weights of 32 kDa and 49 kDa respectively. ET-1 dose-dependently (1−100 nmol/l) induced rapid and transient increases in [Ca2+]i in fura-2-labelled cells. ET-1 also dose-dependently stimulated total IPs in cells prelabelled with myo-[3H]inositol. ET-1 had a slight stimulatory effect on the secretion of progesterone but not of oestradiol from porcine granulosa cells. The present data clearly demonstrate the presence of a non-selective ET receptor (ETB) in porcine granulosa cells coupled with phosphoinositide hydrolysis and [Ca2+]i mobilization, and suggest that ET-1 may play some role in the production of progesterone by porcine granulosa cells.
Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 134, 59–66
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Abstract
The reciprocal control of nonapeptide hormone (oxytocin, vasopressin) and cyclic nucleotide (cAMP, cGMP) release by porcine granulosa cells was studied. In particular, the influence of vasopressin and oxytocin treatment (10–10 000 ng/ml) on basal and LH-induced cAMP and cGMP output, as well as the effects of dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP; cAMP analogue) and forskolin (a stimulator of cAMP formation; 0·1–1000 ng/ml) on vasopressin and oxytocin secretion by cultured porcine granulosa cells were examined.
It was observed that the addition of arginine-8-vasopressin or oxytocin stimulated both cAMP and cGMP output from granulosa cells. Moreover, both vasopressin and oxytocin also increased LH-stimulated cAMP and cGMP release. On the other hand, both dbcAMP and forskolin decreased vasopressin secretion. Oxytocin release was stimulated under the influence of dbcAMP. The same stimulating effect occurred with forskolin given at a low dose (1 ng/ml), whilst higher doses of forskolin (10 or 1000 ng/ml) were inhibitory.
The present observations demonstrate the reciprocal influence of nonapeptide hormones and cyclic nucleotides in porcine ovarian cells. Oxytocin and vasopressin, like LH, exert their action on the ovary via the activation of cAMP- and cGMP-dependent intracellular mechanisms. cAMP in turn inhibits vasopressin release through a negative feedback mechanism. On the other hand, a reciprocal stimulation of oxytocin and cAMP output in granulosa cells is suggested. Thus, cyclic nucleotides can be both regulators of nonapeptide hormone secretion and mediators of their action within porcine ovaries.
Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 150, 343–348
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ABSTRACT
Porcine insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II have been characterized to help define the roles of these peptides in the growth process. The amino acid sequence of porcine IGF-I was found to be identical to the human and bovine peptides. Porcine IGF-II was more similar to human IGF-II than to forms of this growth factor in other mammalian species, differing only in the replacement of asparagine for serine at residue 36. In a biological assay that measures the stimulation of protein synthesis in rat L6 myoblasts, porcine IGF-I was approximately ninefold more potent than porcine IGF-II or bovine IGF-II, while recombinant human IGF-I and IGF-II had half the potency of the respective natural peptides. Porcine and recombinant human IGF-I showed essentially equal competition for binding in a human IGF-I radioimmunoassay while between 0·6 and 1·5% cross-reactivity was observed with human, bovine or porcine IGF-II. A receptor assay for IGF-II demonstrated similar potencies for the three IGF-II peptides, while the cross-reactivity of recombinant human IGF-I was only 0·05%. Porcine IGF-I exhibited a higher cross-reactivity, presumably due to very slight contamination with IGF-II.
Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 122, 681–687
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ABSTRACT
Relaxin release from monodispersed luteal cells derived from pregnant pigs (days 100–110 of gestation; n = 3) was detected by a reverse haemolytic plaque assay. In this technique, luteal cells were co-cultured in monolayers with ovine erythrocytes coupled to protein-A. In the presence of porcine relaxin antiserum and complement, a zone of haemolysis–a plaque–developed around relaxin-releasing luteal cells. Luteal cells were preincubated with porcine relaxin (up to 1000 ng/ml) or progesterone (up to 0·5 μg/ml) for 18 h before the plaque assay. Relaxin (but not progesterone) pretreatment inhibited subsequent relaxin release. The inhibitory effect of relaxin on its own release (autoregulation) has the potential to be a significant part of the local mechanisms which contribute to the overall control of ovarian secretion of protein hormones.
J. Endocr. (1988) 116, 287–291
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Department of Physiology and * Division of Nephrology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, U.S.A. and †The United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, U.S.A.
(Received 26 June 1978)
The chemical composition of human ovarian follicular fluid has been well characterized (Shalgi, Kraicer & Soferman, 1972; Edwards, 1974). However, compositional studies of porcine follicular fluid (PFF; Schuetz, 1974; Chang, Jones, Ellefson & Ryan, 1976), have not included acid–base measurements (pH, oxygen and carbon dioxide tension (Po2, Pco2), concentration of bicarbonate HCO3−]). Recent studies of the nuclear maturation of porcine oocytes have demonstrated a rate of maturation of only 55–80% for oocytes collected from ovaries obtained at the abattoir (Tsafriri & Channing, 1975) and it was suggested that maturing and non-maturing oocytes may have undergone nuclear degeneration. It has also been shown in monkeys that oocytes which appear mature when examined by light microscopy may in fact
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A detailed comparison between the use of human and porcine thyroid membranes for the radioreceptor assay (RRA) of bovine TSH (bTSH) and thyrotrophin-binding inhibiting immunoglobulins (TBIIg) is reported. Bovine thyroid membranes were also investigated but were found to be far less satisfactory than either human or porcine thyroid membranes. The affinity constant (K a) of the interaction of bTSH with porcine thyroid membranes (K a = 3·3 × 109l/mol) measured by Scatchard analysis was higher than with human thyroid membranes (K a = 2·1 × 108l/mol). Porcine thyroid membranes were more sensitive for the assay of bTSH (detection limit 30 μu., half-maximal inhibition 0·3 mu.) than human thyroid membranes (detection limit 200 μu., half-maximal inhibition 7·4 mu.). Preincubation of membranes from either species with immunoglobulin rich in long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) inhibited the saturable binding of 125I-labelled TSH to a greater extent than did normal immunoglobulin. The binding of 125I-labelled TSH to porcine membranes was more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of LATS-immunoglobulin and was also less affected by normal immunoglobulin than was binding to human thyroid membranes. When assayed with each type of membrane preparation there was good correlation between the RRA of immunoglobulins prepared from patients with Graves's disease and from normal subjects (n = 18) (r = 0·85, P <0·001, n = 73). The incidence of positive TBIIg in untreated Graves's disease was greater for porcine than for human thyroid membranes.
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The expression of Galalpha-(1,3)Gal (alphaGal) on porcine islet cells remains controversial. Several groups have reported that porcine islet endocrine cells do not express alphaGal while we have shown in neonatal porcine islets (NPI) that beta cells do express this antigen. We hypothesize that endocrine cells expressing alphaGal on NPI are less mature cells that may have originated from ductal cells and that expression of this antigen disappears as they develop into fully mature beta cells. Thus, we further examined alphaGal expression on various porcine islet cell preparations and correlated this with the proportion of cytokeratin 7 (CK7)-positive ductal cells. In vitro and in vivo expression of alphaGal and CK7 was significantly (P<0.05) higher in less mature NPI cells compared with matured NPI and adult porcine islet cells while the reverse was observed in the proportion of beta cells. Moreover, a significantly higher proportion of CK7-positive cells was detected in the Gal-expressing population compared with non-expressing cells. In contrast, a higher proportion of beta cells was observed in the Gal-negative population compared with the Gal-positive population. These data showed a reduced expression of alphaGal and CK7 as porcine islet cells mature into beta cells suggesting a possible role for alphaGal in the maturation of pancreatic endocrine beta cells.
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ABSTRACT
Homogenates of porcine corpus luteum were subjected to fractionation by differential-rate centrifugation or sucrose density gradient fractionation, with or without pretreatment with digitonin. Fractions of each gradient were assayed for a number of markers characteristic of the major intracellular organelles and cell-surface membranes, and for progesterone content.
The majority of the progesterone content of homogenates of porcine corpus luteum was associated with a low-density particulate fraction which equilibrated at a buoyant density of 1·07–1·09 g/cm3. Pretreatment with digitonin increased the buoyant density of the progesterone-enriched fraction markedly (to 1·13–1·15 g/cm3) without causing release of steroid. The density distributions of progesterone content in control and digitonin-treated luteal gradient fractions were quite distinct from those of the major intracellular organelles and luteal cell-surface membranes. However, NADH–cytochrome C reductase activity (but not other endoplasmic reticulum markers) was also enriched in this fraction. The results suggest that most of the progesterone of the porcine corpus luteum is associated with a unique particulate fraction which is enriched in digitonin-reactive lipids and NADH–cytochrome C reductase activity.
J. Endocr. (1988) 117, 341–354
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Abstract
Subcellular fractionation of porcine corpus luteum (CL) homogenates on continuous sucrose gradients has previously demonstrated that most of the endogenous progesterone of the CL was associated with a unique particulate fraction. Exogenous radiolabelled steroids were also sequestered with some specificity by this fraction. We now report that this particulate fraction is capable of binding high levels of exogenous 3H-labelled progesterone (and pregnenolone) in vitro, but only in the presence of the saponin, digitonin. Binding was dependent on the pH, temperature and duration of incubation, and showed specificity and high affinity for progesterone (K d, 79 nm). Androgens, oestrogens and pregnenolone competed for porcine luteal [3H] progesterone binding sites, but only at much higher concentrations, whereas cholesterol, a number of progesterone receptor agonist and antagonist analogues and inhibitors of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and C17-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyase did not compete.
Analysis of profiles for a number of luteal cell-surface membrane and intracellular organelle markers confirmed previous studies showing the association of an NADH-cytochrome C reductase with this fraction. Moreover, the content of endogenous progesterone associated with particulate subcellular fractions isolated from porcine granulosa cell (GC) and CL homogenates at different stages of the luteal phase and early pregnancy waxed and waned with the stage of the luteal phase (and the secretory activity of the CL). Binding of [3H]progesterone in vitro equilibrated at the same buoyant density as endogenous progesterone: levels of both were highest during the mid-luteal phase and during early pregnancy, lower in early and late luteal CL, and undetectable in corpora albicantia. In contrast, relaxin secretory granules were readily resolved from progesterone binding sites. We propose that these particulate progesterone binding sites may be involved in the sequestration and/or packaging of newly-synthesized steroid for secretion by the luteal cell, or may mediate actions of progesterone within the luteal cell.
Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 142, 101–110
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The aims of this study on porcine ovarian granulosa cells were to examine the effect of GH on oxytocin (OT), IGF-I and IGF-I receptors, IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), progesterone and prostaglandin E (PGE), as well as to determine whether IGF-I and/or OT may be mediators of GH action. The cells were cultured either with porcine GH (pGH) (1 ng/ml to 10 microg/ml or 100 ng/ml only), antiserum against IGF-I (0.1%), antiserum against OT (0.1%) or a combination of GH (10 ng/ml) with antiserum against IGF-I or antiserum against OT (0.1%). The secretion of IGF-I, OT, IGFBP-3, progesterone and PGE was determined using RIA/IRMA, whilst the IGF-I binding sites were measured using a radioreceptor assay. It was observed that pGH increased the secretion of IGF-I and the abundance of IGF-I binding sites in granulosa cells. Furthermore, GH inhibited OT release, stimulated progesterone and PGE output, but had no significant effect on IGFBP-3 secretion. Immunoneutralization of IGF-I by antiserum against IGF-I inhibited PGE secretion, but it did not influence progesterone or IGFBP-3 secretion. Binding of OT by antiserum suppressed IGFBP-3, PGE, but not progesterone secretion. Neither immunoneutralization of IGF-I nor OT substantially prevented the effects of GH on progesterone, IGFBP and PGE. These observations demonstrate the involvement of GH, IGF-I and OT in the control of porcine ovarian secretory activity and the ability of GH to regulate IGF-I and OT production and IGF-I reception. Nevertheless, lack of correlation between the effects of GH, antiserum against IGF-I and antiserum against OT, as well as the inability of blockade of IGF-I or OT to prevent the effects of GH, suggests that IGF-I and OT, despite their dependence on GH, do not mediate GH action on ovarian cells.
