Stimulation of human chorionic gonadotropin secretion by glucocorticoids.
The effects of glucocorticoids on hormone secretion by human placenta in organ culture were studied. The addition of cortisol resulted in a fourfold increase in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion over that in untreated cultures after 144 hours' incubation (P less than 0.05), and a twofold increase in hCG was observed in the presence of cortisone (P less than 0.01). Dexamethasone stimulated hCG secretion in a dose-response manner (r = 0.9542; P less than 0.01). Progesterone, which suppresses hCG under these conditions, decreased the cortisol-enhanced secretion of hCG (r = -0.9794; P less than 0.01). No change in the secretion of human chorionic somatomammotropin was observed, but glucocorticoids increased heat-stable alkaline phosphatase activity (P less than 0.001). The physiologic significance of glucocorticoid effects on placental hormone synthesis is discussed.
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism*; D003348:Cortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D010928:Placental Lactogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011374:Progesterone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D010928:Placental Lactogen; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D003348:Cortisone; D006854:Hydrocortisone