title: Functional luteolysis in response to hydrogen peroxide in human luteal cells.
abstract: To evaluate the effect of reactive oxygen species in human corpus luteum function, we investigated whether hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) affects the in vitro luteal cell production of steroids. H2O2 treatment (1.0-100 microM) of mid and late luteal cell cultures elicited a dose-dependent decrease in basal progesterone production. However, treatment of mid luteal cells with a low concentration of H2O2 (0.01 microM) significantly stimulated progesterone secretion (P < 0.05). In addition, H2O2 (100 microM) markedly inhibited human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated progesterone and estradiol secretion. cAMP production was enhanced (2.4-fold, P < 0.05) by hCG treatment of luteal cells. The addition of H2O2 (0.1-100 microM) to hCG-stimulated luteal cell cultures elicited a decrease in cAMP concentration (P < 0.05) and in the specific binding of radiolabeled hCG by luteal cells. Progesterone and estradiol production stimulated by dibutyryl cAMP were significantly inhibited by H2O2 (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that H2O2 interferes with basal steroid production and, in hCG-stimulated conditions, it may inactivate the gonadotropin-receptor complex. The anti-steroidogenic action of H2O2 therefore raises the possibility of a modulatory role of H2O2 in human luteal steroidogenesis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004958:Estradiol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008183:Luteal Phase; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D005576:Colforsin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D003994:Bucladesine; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide