Substrate utilization for estrogen synthesis by human fetal membranes and decidua.

We have investigated the ability of tissue explants of human amnion, chorion, and decidua to produce estrone when incubated alone or in the presence of estrone sulfate, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, or testosterone. Amnion produced very little estrone from any substrate. Chorion utilized all substrates and decidua utilized estrone sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate for estrone production. For both chorion and decidua, estrone sulfate was quantitatively the most important substrate. Chorionic tissues obtained after spontaneous labor produced greater levels of estrone than tissues obtained before labor (p less than 0.05). We could demonstrate no effect of cortisol, estriol, progesterone, prostaglandins, oxytocin, or dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate on estrogen production. We also measured endogenous concentrations of estrone and estradiol in fetal membranes. We found no significant difference in tissue concentrations between the two methods of delivery. There was no significant correlation between estrone and estradiol concentrations and distance from the placenta. We conclude that human chorion and decidua can produce estrogen, which may have some role in determining the timing of parturition.