Serum 17,20 beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one Levels in pregnant and non-pregnant female rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, viviparous teleost, and its production by post-ovulatory follicles.
Changes in serum 17 alpha,20 beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20 beta-DP) levels around the gestation time of normal pregnant and experimentally non-pregnant females were investigated in the black rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, a viviparous teleost. The serum 17,20 beta-DP in both females showed similar changes and levels, increasing from the early to late gestation periods and declining just before parturition in pregnant females and egg-release in non-pregnant females, respectively. These results suggest that the maintenance of high serum levels of 17,20 beta-DP after oocyte maturation is not correlated with gestation or parturition, but occurs spontaneously in this species. The decline of 17,20 beta-DP levels prior to egg-release in non-pregnant females tended to occur one week earlier than those prior to parturition in pregnant females, suggesting that both a decline in 17,20 beta-DP levels in mothers and some response from embryos are needed for a smooth parturition. The post-ovulatory follicles were maintained throughout the gestation period and produced a considerable amount of 17,20 beta-DP in vitro (3.44-6.96 pg/ml/mg tissue), but little estradiol-17beta (0.92-1.66 pg/ml/mg tissue). The production of 17,20 beta-DP tended to be enhanced by the addition of a precursor steroid, pregnenolone, in the pre-, early and mid-gestation periods. These results strongly suggest that the follicle cells in black rockfish have the ability to synthesize 17,20 beta-DP during the post-ovulatory period, and high serum 17,20 beta-DP during gestation is supplied by the post-ovulatory follicles, which in Sebastes are considered to be functionally homologous to the mammalian corpus luteum.
Koya
Yasunori
Y
Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Gifu University, Japan. koya@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
Mori
Hisanari
H
Nakagawa
Masahiro
M
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011284:Pregnenolone / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; C007433:17,20-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one; D004958:Estradiol; D011284:Pregnenolone