Dexamethasone altered steroidogenesis and changed redox status of granulosa cells.
Glucocorticoids have been widely used in clinical application for anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive function. Previous study reported that glucocorticoids adversely affect the reproductive system and can directly act on ovary. Here, we found that progesterone production induced by dexamethasone requiring activation of caspase-3 which may mediate differentiation and apoptosis of granulosa cells. Further study displayed that cellular glutathione level was increased and reactive oxygen species was decreased accompanied with unchanged mitochondrial membrane potential which may contribute to the maintenance of steroidogenesis in granulosa cells treated with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone also augmented the level of anti-Müllerian hormone secreted by preovulatory granulosa cells which indicated that dexamethasone may promote preantral follicles development.
Maternity Department, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China.
Xiao-Hua
XH
Yuan
Bai-Qing
BQ
Yang
Ying
Y
Hu
Yang-Yang
YY
Fan
Li-Xia
LX
Zhang
Jia-Chen
JC
Zhou
Ya-Qin
YQ
Wang
Cai-Ling
CL
Lu
Xu
X
Ma
D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011374:Progesterone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D053148:Caspase 3