title: Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin on chloride current in human syncytiotrophoblasts in culture.
abstract: Human trophoblast differentiates in vivo and in vitro by the fusion of cytotrophoblastic cells to form syncytiotrophoblasts. A large amount of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is produced by the syncytiotrophoblasts, which express hCG luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors. Since recent investigations with electrophysiological techniques support the conclusion that hormonal effects can be mediated by modulations of the membrane ionic conductances of the cells, a perforated patch-clamp technique was used to investigate the possible presence of a chloride current evoked by hCG. The perifusion of hCG (500 mIU/ml) activated a time-independent current, which presents a linear current-voltage (I/V) relationship in symmetrical chloride concentrations. The reversal potential was -1.8 mV with 142 mM Cl- external solution and 134 mM cl- internal solution. This reversal potential shifted with changes in the transmembrane Cl- gradient. Moreover, this hCG-induced current was sensitive to 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) (50 microM), to diphenylalamine-2-carboxylic acid (DPC) (0.5 mM) and to 9-AC (1 mM), three known chloride channel blockers. These results confirm the autocrine action of hCG in the physiology of the trophoblast.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire, CNRS URA 1869, Université de Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cronier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bois
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hervé
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malassiné
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018118:Chloride Channels; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000242:Cyclic AMP