Androgen Biosynthesis in Human Ovarian Follicles: Cellular Source, Gonadotropic Control, and Adenosine 3′,5′ Monophosphate Mediation*

Abstract

Thecal and granulosa cells isolated from human ovarian follicles were incubated separately for various time intervals (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 h) in the presence or absence of hCG or highly purified FSH. At the end of the incubation period, absolute ethanol was added to the culture tubes and androgen and cAMP production were determined by RIA and protein-binding assay, respectively. In the absence of gonadotropin, human thecal cells produced androgen and cAMP in vitro. While FSH (0.01-10 μg/ml) failed to exert any significant effect on this androgen and cAMP production during a 2-h incubation, synthesis of androgen (2- to 5-fold) and the nucleotide (5- to 50-fold) was markedly increased by hCG (1 IU/ml). These responses of the theca to the gonadotropin were dose dependent, and as little as 0.1 IU hCG/ml medium was effective in enhancing androgen production by 2- to 3-fold. A temporal relationship between the hCG-stimulated androgen and cAMP synthesis seems to exist, with significant increases in the production o...