title: Stimulatory and inhibitory influences of serum from pregnant women on aromatase activity of immature rat Sertoli cells.
abstract: Effects of serum from pregnant women on basal and FSH (or cAMP) stimulated aromatase activity of immature rat Sertoli cells in primary culture were studied. Pregnancy serum caused a dose-dependent stimulation of Sertoli cell aromatase activity and the response curves were parallel to those obtained with human FSH. This stimulatory (FSH-like) activity increased progressively during pregnancy, with a sharp drop immediately after delivery. However, the FSH-like bioactivity was not associated with immunoreactive FSH when a specific radioimmunoassay was employed. On the other hand, serum from pregnant women caused a dose-dependent inhibition of FSH and dibutyryl-cAMP-stimulated aromatase activity. These data suggest that human pregnancy serum contains factor(s) which may stimulate basal aromatase activity of Sertoli cells and may inhibit FSH-induced aromatase activity. These factors, most probably of placental origin, may play a role in the regulation of estrogen production during gestation.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Clinical Research Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Münster, FRG.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Geyter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nieschlag
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004958:Estradiol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D003994:Bucladesine; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D001141:Aromatase