Steroid Formation by Isolated and Recombined Ovarian Granulosa and Thecal Cells

Abstract

Granulosa and thecal cells were isolated from 2 human ovarian follicles and the separated and recombined cells were incubated in vitro with acetate-l-14 C. Radioactively labeled cholesterol, pregnenolone, progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and estrone were isolated in radiochemically pure form from each of the experimental situations utilizing either granulosa, theca or a mixture of the 2 cell types. In addition, labeled dehydroepiandrosterone was isolated only from the incubation with granulosa cells, while labeled estradiol-17/3 was isolated only from the thecal cell and recombined studies. (J Clin Endocr 28: 355, 1968)

On the Structural Changes of Granulosa Cells Cultured in vitro

“…However, biochemical studies in vitro indicate that the granulosa cells of growing and preovulatory follicles may have some steroidogenic activity [Ryan and Smith, 1961;Ryan and Petro, 1966;Ryan et al, 1968;Channing, 1966. From these experiments it appears that granulosa cells are able to produce progesterone as a major product.…”

A Quantitative Electron Microscopic Analysis of the Membrana granulosa of Rat Preovulatory Follicles

“…lipid droplets, and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, entities associated with steroid-secreting cells [Christen sen and Gillim, 1969;Milner and Hamilton, 1971], The MG of preovulatory follicles is capable of producing both estrogens [Falck. 1959;Ryan et al, 1968;Fortune and Armstrong, 1976] and progesterone [Charming, 1974;Stokolosowa and Nalbandov, 1972;Lindner et al, 1974] under defined circumstances. Of all the areas of the rat MG, it is the peripheral region that possesses the highest activity of A^P-hydroxysteroid dehydro genase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase [Zoller and Weisz, 1979], two enzymes involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis [Samules et al.…”

Recent advances in the development of transdermal delivery systems for treatment of infertility

“…The aromatase activity in granulosa cells converts androgens to estrogens. 37 Furthermore, androgens have been shown to exert a paracrine effect on ovarian physiology and upregulate FSH receptor expression during follicular growth. [38][39][40] Further evidence pointing to the importance of androgens during IVF is the positive correlation between serum testosterone and number of oocytes retrieved, as well as the higher pregnancy rates seen in patients with basal testosterone levels above 20 ng/dL.…”