Oxytocin stimulates progesterone production by bovine granulosa cells isolated before, but not after, the luteinizing hormone surge

Abstract

Oxytocin and its mRNA have been detected in bovine granulosa cells, but the function of follicular oxytocin is not well understood. We have shown previously that oxytocin exerts a specific, dose-dependent, stimulatory effect on progesterone secretion by granulosa, but not theca cells isolated from bovine preovulatory follicles obtained 48 h after the initiation of luteolysis. The objective of the present study was to characterize the development of granulosa cell responsiveness to oxytocin during the follicular phase. Granulosa cells and theca interna were isolated from preovulatory follicles early in the follicular phase (24 h after the initiation of luteolysis) or after the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge and cultured in defined medium for 5 days with or without oxytocin and in the presence or absence of gonadotropins. Granulosa, but not theca cells obtained before the LH surge increased progesterone production 3.3-fold in response to oxytocin. However, late in the follicular phase, after the LH surge, granulosa cells did not respond to oxytocin (or to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or LH). These findings suggest that the LH surge (1) stimulates granulosa cells to maximal progesterone secretion, so that they cannot be further stimulated, (2) abolishes the responsiveness of granulosa cells to oxytocin, or (3) stimulates granulosa cells to increase oxytocin production, so that exogenous oxytocin has no additional effect.