title: Modulation of differentiation of rat granulosa cells in vitro by interferon-gamma.
abstract: The effects of recombinant rat interferon-gamma (rRaIFN-gamma) and rat IFN (RaIFN, a mixture of IFN-gamma and -alpha) on basal and FSH-induced ovarian granulosa cell function were studied. Granulosa cells were harvested from diethylstilboestrol-treated immature rats and cultured (2 x 10(5) viable cells/well per 0.5 ml) in serum-free medium with or without treatment for 48 h. In the presence of FSH (20 ng/ml), rRaIFN-gamma (10-1000 U/ml) significantly inhibited FSH-stimulated aromatase activity (76.4 +/- 2.3% maximum inhibition compared with FSH treatment alone), inhibin (40.4 +/- 3.7%), progesterone (47.7 +/- 8.6%) and 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one (20 alpha-OHP) (51.8 +/- 1.7%) production in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, rRaIFN-gamma inhibited FSH- and forskolin (FSK; 30 mumol/l)-induced extracellular cAMP accumulation (46.0 +/- 6.6% and 29.1 +/- 7.3% respectively). The inhibitory effect of rRaIFN-gamma on FSK-induced cAMP was accompanied by decreased FSK-induced aromatase activity, inhibin, progesterone and 20 alpha-OHP production. rRaIFN-gamma had no detectable effect on aromatase activity, progesterone production and 20 alpha-OHP production in the absence of FSH, but significantly stimulated basal inhibin production by 1.5-fold. rRaIFN-gamma alone also caused a small but significant increase in basal levels of cAMP. The time-course studies showed that FSH-induced aromatase activity and inhibin production were consistently suppressed by rRaIFN-gamma, FSH-induced progesterone and 20 alpha-OHP were inhibited at 1 and 2 days and then stimulated on days 3, 4 and 5 relative to FSH alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Findlay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013256:Steroids; D007265:Inhibins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000242:Cyclic AMP