Do small and large luteal cells of the sheep interact in the production of progesterone?

Corpora lutea from cyclic ewes were dissociated by collagenase and trypsin/EGTA treatments, and enriched fractions of small and large luteal cells were prepared on gradients of Ficoll. These fractions were incubated separately or remixed before incubation. Colchicine, cytochalasin B and the calcium channel-blocker verapamil significantly reduced progesterone production by both small and large luteal cell fractions, while isoprenaline stimulated an increase in progesterone production by large luteal cell fractions only. When fractions of small and large luteal cells were remixed, no more and no less progesterone was produced than would have been predicted from equivalent fractions incubated separately. There was therefore no evidence of synergism between small and large luteal cells in the production of progesterone. Prostaglandin F-2 alpha, which can inhibit LH-stimulated progesterone production by ovine luteal tissue in vitro, had no effect on LH-stimulated progesterone production by small luteal cell fractions, but significantly inhibited that by enriched fractions of large luteal cells. Since large luteal cell fractions were contaminated with small luteal cells, which are probably responsible for the progesterone-secretory response of these fractions to LH, it was concluded that the inhibition of LH-stimulated progesterone production by small luteal cells is dependent on the presence of large luteal cells. Oxytocin added to large and small luteal cell fractions did not affect progesterone production by either fraction. It was therefore concluded that the inhibitory action of PGF-2 alpha on LH-stimulated progesterone production may require the interaction of large and small luteal cells, but that oxytocin is not likely to be an intermediary in this interaction.