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Division of Endocrinology (S.G., Y.B., A.G., R.J.U.), Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1060; and Division of Reproductive Endocrinology (M.N.), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0587
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Randall J. Urban, M.D., 8.138 Medical Research Building, 1060, Division of Endocrinology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1060. E-mail: rurban{at}utmb.edu
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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(4). Thiazolidinediones bind to and activate
peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor
that forms a heterodimer
with retinoic acid receptor and binds to an orphan nuclear
receptor-binding motif [direct repeat one (DR-1)] in gene promoters
(5). By acting at the transcriptional level, thiazolidinediones
selectively increase the expression of genes that regulate glucose
homeostasis (6), and they decrease the expression of genes that oppose
insulin action (7). These agents also stimulate adipocyte
differentiation from preadipocyte fibroblasts (8) and counteract
negative effects of some cytokines on glucose and lipid metabolism
(9). Because thiazolidinediones improve peripheral insulin resistance and decrease hyperinsulinemia, they may also be used for the treatment of several disorders other than type 2 diabetes. One such disease is polycystic ovarian disease (PCO), where insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and resulting hyperinsulinemia are associated with increased androgen concentrations and oligomenorrhea (10). The thiazolidinedione troglitazone, when used for the treatment of PCO, improved insulin resistance and lowered androgen concentrations (11, 12). This beneficial effect of troglitazone was attributed to its lowering of serum insulin concentrations that are proposed to hyperstimulate the ovary (11, 12).
Another possibility is that troglitazone affects ovarian function by direct effects on steroidogenesis. In this study, we used porcine granulosa cells in primary culture to investigate the in vitro effects of troglitazone on progesterone production. We found that troglitazone inhibits progesterone production in granulosa cells by inhibiting the activity of 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-HSD).
| Materials and Methods |
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-32P]-(deoxycycidine triphosphate) and a
random prime kit were obtained from Amersham Corp. (Arlington Heights,
IL). For 3ß-HSD activity and aromatase assay,
[3,7-3H]-pregnenolone and
[1ß-3H]-androstenedione were purchased from Amersham.
Silica gel-coated TLC plates (HL250 plates with preadsorbant
layer) were from Analtech (Newark, DE). Pregnenolone concentrations
were determined with an RIA kit from ICN Biomedicals, Inc.
(Costa Mesa, CA). Cell culture media and FBS were purchased from Gibco
BRL (Gaithersburg, MD). 25-hydroxy (25-OH) cholesterol was
obtained from Fluka (Ronkonkoma, NY). All other chemicals and materials
were from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO).
Primary culture of porcine granulosa cells
The porcine granulosa cells were isolated from 1- to 5-mm
follicles of ovaries from immature swine (6070 kg) obtained from a
local slaughterhouse (13). The cells were plated in DMEM and 3%
FCS, at a concentration of 2030 million cells/60-mm dish, for 1216
h to facilitate granulosa cell attachment to the plates. Monolayer
cultures were maintained at 37 C in 5% CO2 throughout the
experiments. After granulosa cell attachment, medium containing the FCS
was discarded, and serum-free medium with various concentrations of
troglitazone was added for 24 h. One ml of medium was
collected for measurement of progesterone or pregnenolone.
Cell viability assay
Granulosa cell viability was tested using a colorimetric assay
that is dependent on the oxidation of MTS to formazan dye by
dehydrogenase enzymes found in metabolically active cells (14). After
24 h treatment of granulosa cells with troglitazone,
media was removed, and a new media, containing MTS reagent, was added,
according to manufacturers directions. The cells were incubated with
MTS for 2 h, media was removed, and its absorbance was measured at
490 nm.
3ß-HSD assay
Porcine granulosa cells in primary cultures were treated in
serum-free media and washed once with PBS. Whole granulosa cell
homogenates were suspended in 0.1 M Bicine buffer, pH 9.0,
with protease inhibitors and homogenized by shearing with polytron
apparatus. The homogenates were incubated in 100 mM Bicine
buffer, pH 9.0, 0.5 mM NAD with 25 µM
unlabeled pregnenolone and a tracer amount of
[3H]-pregnenolone in a total vol of 20 µl for 3 h
at 37 C. Reactions were stopped by addition of 5 µl (4 µg/ml)
unlabeled pregnenolone and progesterone in ethanol, and all 25-µl
reactions were loaded on silica gel HL 250-µm TLC plates (Analtech).
The TLC plates were run twice with benzene/acetone 4:1 mixture. After
drying the plates, pregnenolone and progesterone spots were developed
by spraying with water, scraped into scintillation vials, and counted
(15).
Aromatase assay
Aromatase activity was measured by incubating live porcine
granulosa cells with [1ß-3H]-androstenedione
(Amersham), as described before (16). Briefly, medium from porcine
granulosa cells, incubated for 6 h with labeled
[1ß-3H]-androstenedione, was extracted with chloroform
and centrifuged. Aqueous supernatant was incubated with 5%
charcoal/0.5% dextran to separate 3H from labeled
androstenedione. This mixture was centrifuged and an aliquot added to
scintillation fluid and counted in a liquid scintillation counter.
RIAs
The RIA for progesterone, which has been described, uses the
chromatographic separation of steroids to enhance specificity (17). The
pregnenolone RIA was performed with a kit from ICN, that uses a
[3H]-pregnenolone tracer and charcoal-dextran method for
separation of bound and free tracer. The kit includes an antibody that
is specific for pregnenolone and pregnenolone-sulfate, with no
significant cross-reactivity with other steroids. Hormone
concentrations were normalized to granulosa cell DNA, which were
measured by fluorometric assay using DNA-binding dye Hoechst 33258
(17).
Northern blot hybridization
Northern blot hybridizations were performed as previously
described (17), except that hybridization and washing was done at 37
C.
Statistical analysis
Differences between progesterone values for control and treated
cells were determined by one-way ANOVA. Probability levels of less than
0.05 were considered statistically significant. All data-points are
presented as a mean ± SE.
| Results |
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One of the limiting factors in steroid hormone biosynthesis is the
delivery of cholesterol, which is poorly soluble, from its
intracellular stores to the mitochondria. The first step in
steroidogenesis, cleavage of the cholesterol side-chain, is
accomplished by P-450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc), which
is located on the inner mitochondria membrane (18). To determine
whether troglitazone interferes with intramitochondrial
cholesterol transport, we tested its effect on granulosa cell
progesterone production in the presence of 25-OH cholesterol, a
water-soluble cholesterol analog that is not dependent on
intramitochondrial transport. Troglitazone inhibited
progesterone production, even in the presence of 25-OH cholesterol
(Fig. 3
), demonstrating that inhibition
of progesterone release by troglitazone is not caused by
inhibition of intramitochondrial cholesterol transport.
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| Discussion |
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Recent clinical studies show that troglitazone effectively treated many of the metabolic abnormalities associated with PCO. The mechanism for the effectiveness of troglitazone was hypothesized to result from the decrease in insulin resistance caused by the drug (11, 12). However, the findings from our in vitro study indicate that troglitazone has direct effects on granulosa cell steroidogenesis. This may not only be a possible explanation for the effectiveness of troglitazone in PCO, but it also implies that troglitazone has additional clinical applications in the female reproductive system.
In comparison with the other two thiazolidinediones tested in the
study, troglitazone was the most proficient at suppressing
progesterone production. However, troglitazone is not the
most potent thiazolidinedione in reducing insulin resistance, ranking
in the middle of potency in this class of drugs (19).
Troglitazone is a unique thiazolidinedione because of an
-tocopherol (vitamin E) substitution attached to its thiazolidine
core. Vitamin E has effects on reproductive function, and reproductive
organs actively transport it inside cells (20, 21). Therefore, the
enhanced effects of troglitazone, as compared with other
thiazolidinediones, could be related to its tocopherol
substitution.
The observed decrease in 3ß-HSD activity, after
troglitazone treatment, happened without a concomitant
decrease in messenger RNA concentrations. This decreased activity of
3ß-HSD could be the result of either a decrease in the amount of
enzyme (translation or degradation) or an effect of
troglitazone on a cofactor involved in the activity of
3ß-HSD. Moreover, the early suppression of progesterone production in
granulosa cells, before a decrease in 3ß-HSD activity, indicates that
troglitazone itself may have direct inhibitory effects on
3ß-HSD activity. The marked elevation of pregnenolone concentrations
in our experiments is caused by the lack of activity of
17
-hydroxylase in granulosa cells (22).
In summary, we have shown that troglitazone suppresses progesterone production in porcine granulosa cells, specifically by inhibiting the activity of 3ß-HSD. These direct effects of troglitazone on ovarian steroidogenesis could be clinically relevant in its use for the treatment of PCO and other ovarian syndromes.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Footnotes |
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Received May 26, 1998.
| References |
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