title: Regulation of tissue-type plasminogen activator activity and messenger RNA levels by gonadotropin-releasing hormone in cultured rat granulosa cells and cumulus-oocyte complexes.
abstract: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) acts directly on the ovary to induce ovulation in hypophysectomized proestrous rats. Because plasminogen activators (PAs) are implicated in gonadotropin-induced ovulation, we have studied the effect of GnRH on ovarian PA synthesis. GnRH induced tissue-type PA (tPA) secretion by cultured rat granulosa cells, but inhibited the secretion of urokinase-type PA. These effects were blocked by co-treatment with a GnRH antagonist, suggesting that stereospecific GnRH receptors are involved. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) also induced tPA in granulosa cells but with a different time course than GnRH; the combined effect of FSH and GnRH was additive. The GnRH effect was mimicked by the calcium- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C activator, phorbol myristate acetate. In isolated cumulus-oocyte complexes and cumulus cells, GnRH treatment also increased tPA activity. In contrast, treatment of denuded oocytes with GnRH did not increase enzyme activity. After GnRH stimulation of the cumulus-oocyte complexes, tPA content in the denuded oocyte was elevated, suggesting that the cumulus cells mediate the action of GnRH to increase the oocyte enzyme levels. Hybridization experiments using a labeled rat tPA-specific DNA probe showed that both FSH and GnRH increased the level of tPA mRNA in cultured granulosa cells; the stimulatory effect of GnRH was blocked by the GnRH antagonist. Our results indicate that GnRH treatment increases tPA secretion by cultured granulosa cells and cumulus-oocyte complexes. The stimulation of enzyme activity in the granulosa cells is accompanied by increases in tPA mRNA levels.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D004247:DNA; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate