Basic fibroblast growth factor induces luteinizing hormone receptor expression in the presence of insulin-like growth factor-I in ovarian granulosa cells

Abstract

Effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the expression of receptors for luteinizing hormone (LH), a marker of differentiation, was studied using estrogen-primed rat ovarian granulosa cells in primary culture. bFGF had no effect by itself but dose-dependently induced expression of functional LH receptors in the presence of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). The effect of a combination of bFGF and IGF-I was delayed in onset and the magnitude of the response was smaller when compared to the action of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Scatchard analysis revealed that disspciation constant ( K d) and number of LH receptors induced by bFGF and IGF-I were 0.47 nM and 6.48 fmol/10 6 cells, respectively. Unlike FSH, bFGF plus IGF-I did not cause an immediate increase in cAMP release, however, considerable amount of cAMP release was observed in cells incubated for 72 h with bFGF plus IGF-I. Indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, attenuated both LH receptor expression and cAMP release induced by bFGF plus IGF-I but had little effect on the action of FSH. Finally, a combination of bFGF and IGF-I increased production of prostaglandin E 2 in granulosa cells. These results indicate that bFGF is capable of inducing LH receptor in the presence of IGF-I by a mechanism involving production of prostaglandin E 2.