Prostaglandin F2 alpha- and phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate-stimulated progesterone production by cultured human luteal cells in the mid-luteal phase: prostaglandin F2 alpha increases cytosolic Ca2+ and inositol phosphates.

While prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) has been thought to be a natural luteolysin in non-primates, a luteolytic effect in the human corpus luteum is less evident. We therefore investigated the action of PGF2 alpha on monolayer cultures of human luteal cells obtained from mid-luteal phase corpora lutea. PGF2 alpha increased basal and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)-stimulated progesterone production by human cultured luteal cells. A potent tumour-promoting phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), also stimulated progesterone production by cultured human luteal cells. Although human luteal cells were incubated for 24 h with PMA, hCG was still able to stimulate the production of progesterone by PMA-pretreated cells. However, PMA pretreatment blocked the ability of PGF2 alpha to stimulate progesterone production. It is possible that the luteotrophic effect of PGF2 alpha may be mediated, in part, by the activation of protein kinase C. Addition of PGF2 alpha to suspensions of human luteal cells preincubated with myo-[2-3H]inositol promoted an increase in labelled inositol phosphates. PGF2 alpha also rapidly increased intracellular free Ca2+ in human luteal cells loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ probe, fura-2. We conclude that PGF2 alpha and PMA stimulate progesterone production and that PGF2 alpha increases the intracellular free calcium and inositol phosphates of human cultured luteal cells in the mid-luteal phase.