The effect of mifepristone on apoptosis and caspase-3 activation in human ovarian luteinized granulosa cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of mifepristone, an oral contraceptive, on apoptosis in human ovarian luteinized granulosa cells.


METHODS
Human ovarian luteinized granulosa cells were treated in vitro with 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, or 20.0 microM of mifepristone. Nuclear morphology, apoptosis ratio, and level of caspase-3 expression were determined with immunofluorescence microscopy, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and flow cytometry.


RESULTS
We found that mifepristone-treated cells contained single condensed chromatin with multiple nuclear fragments, which is morphologic evidence of apoptosis. A significant difference was observed in the TUNEL assay between mifepristone-treated cells and control cells (P<0.05). Consistent with the results of the TUNEL assay, the fluorescence intensity of caspase-3 in drug-treated cells was also significantly different (P<0.05) from control cells; specifically, the difference between cells treated with different doses of drugs was much smaller and negligible.


CONCLUSIONS
From these results, we propose that mifepristone induces human ovarian luteinized granulosa cells to undergo apoptosis by activating caspase-3.
Zhang
Wuwen
W
Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310006 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Huang
Lili
L
Zhuang
Yaling
Y
Wang
Wen
W
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015735:Mifepristone; D053148:Caspase 3