Stimulatory effects of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone upon secretion of progesterone and inhibin activity by cultured infant human ovarian granulosa cells.

Ovarian tissue obtained from three human infants (60, 120, and 210 days of age) was separated into cell types and cultured. Granulosa cells from two of three subjects were viable and grew in culture. The cells had the potential to secrete low levels of progesterone and responded to luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone added in culture with greatly enhanced ability to secrete progesterone. Granulosa cells could also secrete inhibin activity in culture and responded to luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone with enhanced inhibin secretion. The granulosa cells also had the potential to secrete estrogen in the presence of testosterone. Serum levels of gonadotropin in the human infant are elevated for a period between 1 and 4 months; yet only follicular growth, not luteinization, occurs. It can be concluded that infant human granulosa cells, like adult human granulosa cells, have the potential of responding in vitro to gonadotropin.