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Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 78, 174-179, Copyright © 1994 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

In vitro production of plasminogen activator by human granulosa cells

O Epifano, M Riminucci, C Manna, R Apa, E Greco, A Lanzone, M Stefanini and R Canipari
Istituto di Istologia ed Embriologia Generale, Universita di Roma, La Sapienza, Italy.

Plasminogen activator (PA) production by granulosa cells has been demonstrated in several species. In the human ovary, tissue-type PA and urokinase-type PA antigens have been found in the follicular fluids, but neither PA activity nor mRNA for both enzymes was found in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles. All of these studies were performed on granulosa cells collected from follicles immediately before ovulation, when the cells were already in the luteal phase. In the attempt to better characterize the PA/plasminogen system in the human ovary, we examined PA and PA inhibitor (PAI) production in cultures of granulosa cells obtained from normally cycling untreated women at different stages of the cycle. In addition, we analyzed granulosa-luteal cells obtained from hormonally stimulated women undergoing gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, as a model of late phase follicular development. Zymographic analysis as well as immunoprecipitation with specific antisera revealed that granulosa cells from follicles at early phases of antral stages secreted high levels of PA of the urokinase type in the medium. No free tissue-type PA activity was found in any of the examined samples. On the contrary, free PAI was undetectable in medium obtained from granulosa cell cultures, and it was abundant in granulosa-luteal cell cultures, where it was found in two forms. These data show that in the human ovary as in that of the rat, PAs and PAIs are tightly time regulated. The timing of PA production in human granulosa cells suggests a role for PA activity at early stages of follicular maturation.


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E. Macchione, O. Epifano, M. Stefanini, D. Belin, and R. Canipari
Urokinase Redistribution from the Secreted to the Cell-Bound Fraction in Granulosa Cells of Rat Preovulatory Follicles
Biol Reprod, April 1, 2000; 62(4): 895 - 903.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


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Copyright © 1994 by The Endocrine Society