title: Sex steroid and human chorionic gonadotropin modulation of in vitro prolactin production by human term decidua.
abstract: This study was undertaken to investigate the possible regulatory effects of the sex steroids estradiol and progesterone and the protein hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on prolactin (PRL) production by human decidua in vitro. Decidual tissue obtained from chorionic membranes was incubated in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium in the steroid experiments and in media supplemented with 5% fetal calf serum in the hCG experiments. Daily media samples up to 90 hours were assayed for PRL by radioimmunoassay. Estradiol in a final medium concentration of 1 ng/ml significantly stimulated overall PRL production within 48 to 72 hours (n = 26, p = 0.0007). This difference was not, however, significant at 24 hours (p = 0.07). Progesterone alone in final concentrations of 100 ng/ml failed to demonstrate any effect relative to controls (n = 17, p = 0.5). A daily change of media with the addition of fresh progesterone also failed to affect PRL production (n = 8, p = 0.35). The same estradiol and progesterone concentrations, in combination, suppress PRL production over 72 hours, significant at p = 0.0001 (n = 9). When estradiol was administered initially and progesterone was added after 24 hours, the PRL production diminished significantly (n = 9, p = 0.0003). hCG stimulated PRL production in serum-supplemented media only at a dose of 10(4) mlU/ml (p = 0.0001). Finally, this effect could be delayed for 24 hours (p = 0.0001). We interpret these data to suggest a stimulatory role for estradiol in the synthesis of PRL by human term decidua in vitro and an estradiol-modulated suppressive effect for progesterone--both effects in a manner consistent with their similar effects on pituitary cell cultures. Also, hCG has a definite but poorly understood role in stimulating in vitro decidual PRL production.
mesh_terms: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin