title: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide stimulates acute progesterone production in rat granulosa/Lutein cells via two receptor subtypes.
abstract: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) is transiently expressed in ovarian granulosa/lutein cells from eCG/hCG-treated rats, and in vitro immunoneutralization of endogenously released PACAP inhibits acute progesterone secretion and subsequent luteinization in such cells. This suggests that PACAP mediates locally some of the effects of the LH surge, but the putative PACAP receptor(s) involved in such an auto or paracrine activity is presently unknown. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction with specific primers to the three cloned PACAP-binding receptors called PAC(1), VPAC(1), and VPAC(2) demonstrated both PAC(1) and VPAC(2) mRNA in extracts from preovulatory follicular cells. Radioligand-binding assays revealed the presence of high-affinity binding sites with characteristics of these two receptors on the intact cells, and autoradiography demonstrated that the binding was restricted to a minor proportion of the follicular cells as well as the oocytes. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) dose-dependently stimulated cAMP accumulation and acute progesterone accumulation. Forskolin and db-cAMP also stimulated acute progesterone accumulation, and the protein kinase A inhibitor H89 dose-dependently inhibited peptide induced acute progesterone accumulation, suggesting involvement of cAMP and the protein kinase A pathway in the process. In conclusion, two of the three PACAP binding receptors are present on preovulatory follicular cells and are involved in the effects of PACAP on acute progesterone production. The data provide further evidence to establish PACAP as an auto- or paracrine regulator of LH-induced acute progesterone production in rat preovulatory follicles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Copenhagen, Bispebjerg Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gräs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hedetoft
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fahrenkrug
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D054746:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Type II; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D014975:Lutein / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051239:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, Type II; D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C495403:Adcyap1 protein, rat; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D009479:Neuropeptides; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D051239:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, Type II; D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I; D005576:Colforsin; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D011374:Progesterone; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D054746:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Type II; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D014975:Lutein