title: The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on de novo and low-density lipoprotein-stimulated progesterone secretion by human choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells.
abstract: It has been suggested that fetal adrenal steroids affect the secretion of progesterone by the human trophoblast and decrease the progesterone/estrogen secretory ratio at the time of parturition. In the present study, cultured human choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells were used as an experimental model in order to examine the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on both de novo and low-density lipoprotein-stimulated progesterone secretion. In serum-free and cholesterol-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, JEG-3 cell cultures demonstrated a significant secretion of both pregnenolone and progesterone. A 200% to 300% increase in pregnenolone and progesterone secretion was achieved by physiologic low-density lipoprotein concentrations added to Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium while androgens and estrogens remained undetectable. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate added to Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium was actively converted into C-19 and C-18 steroids but had no significant effect (up to 20 micrograms/ml) on basal (de novo) progesterone secretion. In contrast, the addition of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (1 to 5 micrograms/ml) to cultures grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium plus low-density lipoprotein induced a dose-related inhibition of progesterone and a return of that secretion to basal levels.
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003470:Culture Media; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011284:Pregnenolone / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D011284:Pregnenolone