title: Adrenomedullin in rat follicles and corpora lutea: expression, functions and interaction with endothelin-1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adrenomedullin (ADM), a novel vasorelaxant peptide, was found in human/rat ovaries. The present study investigated the interaction of ADM and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in follicles and newly formed corpora lutea (CL) and the actions of ADM on progesterone production in CL during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The peptide and gene expression level of adrenomedullin in small antral follicles, large antral follicles and CL was studied by real-time RT-PCR and EIA. The effect of ADM treatment on oestradiol production in 5-day follicular culture and on progesterone production from CL of different pregnant stages was measured by EIA. The interaction of ADM and ET-1 in follicles and CL at their gene expression level was studied by real-time RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the rat ovary, the gene expression of Adm increased during development from small antral follicles to large antral follicles and CL. In vitro treatment of preantral follicular culture for 5 days with ADM increased oestradiol production but did not affect follicular growth or ovulation rate. The regulation of progesterone production by ADM in CL in culture was pregnancy-stage dependent, inhibitory at early and late pregnancy but stimulatory at mid-pregnancy, which might contribute to the high progesterone production rate of the CL at mid-pregnancy. Moreover, the interaction between ADM and ET-1 at both the production and functional levels indicates that these two vasoactive peptides may form an important local, fine-tuning regulatory system together with LH and prolactin for progesterone production in rat CL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the CL is the major source of progesterone production even after the formation of placenta in rats, ADM may be an important regulator in progesterone production to meet the requirement of pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wai-Sum
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: O
authors.forename: Fai
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077221:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Receptor Antagonists; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D058263:Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D000077221:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Receptor Antagonists; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D019332:Endothelin-1; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C545509:Ramp2 protein, rat; D058263:Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 2; C104782:adrenomedullin (22-52); C058636:calcitonin gene-related peptide (8-37); D053607:Adrenomedullin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide