An aminopeptidase inhibitor, bestatin, enhances progesterone and oestradiol secretion by porcine granulosa cells stimulated with follicle stimulating hormone in vitro.

We examined the presence of cell surface aminopeptidase on cultured porcine granulosa cells by employing the aminopeptidase assay using alanine-p-nitroanilide and histochemical staining using L-leucyl-beta-naphthylamide. Porcine granulosa cells obtained from follicles 4-5 mm in diameter were cultured for 7 days. The aminopeptidase assay showed that the porcine granulosa cell culture had aminopeptidase activity and that this activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by bestatin which binds to cell surfaces and inhibits cell surface aminopeptidases. Histochemical staining also indicated that cultured granulosa cells had aminopeptidase activity. Porcine granulosa cells were cultured in the presence or absence of porcine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH, 3.125 nmol/l) and/or bestatin (0.4, 4.0 and 40.0 micrograms/ml) for 7 days, and the production of progesterone and oestradiol was measured. In the presence of porcine FSH, the production of progesterone and oestradiol by granulosa cells was increased significantly by approximately 5- and 2-fold respectively. These increases were enhanced further by bestatin (40.0 micrograms/ml). In the absence of porcine FSH, progesterone production was enhanced by bestatin (40.0 micrograms/ml), whereas no significant effect of bestatin on oestradiol secretion was observed. These findings indicate that the inhibition of membrane-bound aminopeptidase(s) on the cell surfaces affects the steroidogenesis of granulosa cells, and that these aminopeptidase(s) are important regulators of granulosa cell differentiation.