Comparison of induced corpora lutea from prepuberal gilts and spontaneous corpora lutea from mature gilts: in vitro progesterone production.

Prepuberal (P) gilts were induced to ovulate with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin followed 72 h later by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Three P gilts and three mature (M) gilts each were ovariectomized on d 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 (d 0 = day of hCG for P gilts and onset of estrus for M gilts). Gilts ovariectomized on d 14, 18, 22 and 26 were hysterectomized on d 6 to ensure maintenance of the corpora lutea (CL). Two to five grams of minced luteal tissue were dispersed using collagenase and hyaluronidase in HEPES buffered salt solution supplemented with glucose and bovine serum albumin. Dispersed cells were rinsed in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), counted (ratio of large to total number of luteal cells determined) and then incubated for 1 h in DMEM. With aliquots standardized to 2.5 X 10(4) viable, large cells (greater than 25 micron diameter) were incubated in 1 ml DMEM for 2 h in the presence of either 10, 50, 100 or 1,000 ng luteinizing hormone (LH); .1, 1, 10 or 100 ng hCG; 10, 100 or 1,000 ng norepinephrine (NE) or either .75, or 1.5 mM dibutyrl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP). Progesterone (P4) in the medium was quantified by radioimmunoassay. Basal P4 production (no P4 stimulator added to the medium) on d 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 for P gilts was 246 +/- 9, 66 +/- 4, 64 +/- 6, 41 +/- 3 and 69 +/- 6 ng/ml medium, respectively, and for M gilts was 281 +/- 12, 128 +/- 8, 53 +/- 4, 82 +/- 6, 101 +/- 5 ng/ml medium, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)