We have studied the action of GH on the production of hormones, growth factors, growth factor-binding protein and the occurrence of apoptosis in bovine ovarian granulosa cells, as well as the role of cAMP-stimulated protein kinase A (PKA) in the mediation of these effects. For this purpose we investigated the effects of exogenous bovine GH (0.001-10 microgram/ml), PKA blockers KT5720 (100 ng/ml) and adenosine-3',5'-monophosphothiodate (Rp-cAMPS) (1 micromol), alone and in combination, on IGF-I, IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3, oxytocin, progesterone and estradiol secretion, cAMP and PKA content and the occurrence of apoptosis.The secretion of hormones, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 into the culture medium was measured using RIA/IRMA. The presence of PKA was detected using immunocytochemistry and Western immunoblotting. The presence of cAMP in cells was demonstrated using immunocytochemistry, whilst the proportion of apoptotic cells was determined by the TUNEL method.It was found that the addition of GH to the culture medium strongly (P<0.05) stimulated IGF-I (at a concentration of 0.001-10 microgram GH/ml medium), IGFBP-3 (0.001-1 microgram GH/ml) and oxytocin (0.01-10 microgram GH/ml) secretion. Low concentrations (1-100 ng/ml) of GH stimulated, whilst a higher concentration (10 microgram/ml) inhibited estradiol output. GH slightly (P<0.05) inhibited progesterone (1-100 ng GH/ml) secretion and significantly (P<0.05) decreased the incidence of apoptosis (0.01-1 microgram GH/ml) in cultured cells. The addition of GH (100 ng/ml) caused a dramatic (P<0.05) increase in the proportion of cells possessing the immunoreactive catalytic subunit of PKA and a slight decrease in the proportion of cells containing the regulatory PKA subunit.PKA blockers KT5720 and Rp-cAMPS significantly (P<0.05) reduced the proportion of granulosa cells containing cAMP, and the catalytic and (in the case of KT5720) regulatory subunits of PKA. KT5720 given alone significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the secretion of IGFBP-3, but not that of IGF-I or progesterone. Rp-cAMPS decreased (P<0.05) the secretion of oxytocin but not that of estradiol output or the occurrence of apoptosis. KT5720 and Rp-cAMPS fully or partially prevented the GH effect on IGF-I, IGFBP-3, oxytocin, progesterone, estradiol and apoptosis.These observations suggest the involvement of GH and a cAMP/PKA-dependent intracellular cascade in the control of IGF-I, IGFBP-3, oxytocin, progesterone, estradiol, cAMP and apoptosis in bovine ovarian granulosa cells. The stimulation of PKA by GH and the prevention of GH-induced effects by PKA blockers suggest that the observed GH effects on bovine ovarian cells are probably mediated by the cAMP/PKA system.

The aim of our in vitro experiments with isolated porcine ovarian follicles was to study the effects of gonadotropins, GH, IGF-I and oxytocin (OT) on release of ovarian steroid, OT, IGF-I, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), prostaglandin F (PGF), prostaglandin E (PGE) and cAMP. It was found that quarters of ovarian follicles cultured for 8 days produced significant amounts of progesterone, estradiol-17 beta, OT and IGFBP-3 with peaks of accumulation from the 3rd to the 8th day of culture. Addition of serum promoted progesterone, estradiol and OT release, whilst accumulation of IGFBP-3 was maintained to a greater extent in serum-free medium. GH (10 ng/ml or above) was able to inhibit androstenedione, OT, PGF and IGFBP-3, to stimulate IGF-I and cAMP, and to alter testosterone and PGE release by follicles cultured in serum-supplemented and/or serum-free medium. IGF-I (10 ng/ml or more) inhibited androstenedione and PGF secretion, stimulated testosterone, estradiol, OT and cAMP production, but did not influence progesterone, IGFBP-3 or PGE output in these conditions. OT (100 ng/ml) was able to inhibit androstenedione and to stimulate testosterone, IGF-I, PGF and PGE, but not estradiol or IGFBP-3 release. A stimulatory effect of LH on progesterone and OT and an inhibitory influence of LH on estradiol secretion in the serum-supplemented medium were observed. FSH in these conditions stimulated OT, but not progesterone or estradiol secretion. The use of this experimental model suggests the involvement of gonadotropins, OT, GH and IGF-I in the control of ovarian steroid and nonapeptide hormone, growth factor, growth factor-binding protein, prostaglandin and cyclic nucleotide production. The stimulatory effect of GH on IGF-I, and the stimulatory influence of IGF-I on OT, as well as coincidence of the majority of effects of IGF-I and OT, suggest the existence of a GH-IGF-I-OT axis. On the other hand, the different patterns of action of GH and IGF-I on OT, estrogen and IGFBP-3 suggest that part of the GH effect on ovarian cells is IGF-I independent.

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.