Diethylstilbestrol effect on the in vitro synthesis of progesterone in the bovine corpus luteum.

Abstract

The ability of diethylstilbestrol to influence the synthesis of progesterone in the bovine corpus luteum was investigated. Slices of tissue were incubated with several concentrations of diethylstilbestrol and an exogenous TPNH source. No exogenous precursors of progesteione were added. At concentrations greater than 0.01 μM, diethylstilbestrol inhibited progesterone synthesis up to 37% when TPN plus glucose-6-phosphate was used as the TPNH source. Diethylstilbestrol did not inhibit progesterone synthesis when TPNH or isocitric acid plus TPN was used in place of TPN and glucose-6-phosphate. Analysis for 20-hydroxypregn- 4-en-3-one, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, testosterone, estradiol and estrone showed that the decrease in progesterone content was not a result of increased metabolism to any of these products. These results indicated that physiologically significant concentrations of diethylstilbestrol are capable of decreasing progesterone synthesis by inhibiting bovine corpus luteum glucose-6-phosphate dehyd...