Insulin-like growth factor-1, a component of serum that enables porcine cumulus cells to expand in response to follicle-stimulating hormone in vitro.

The present study was aimed at determining whether insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a component of fetal bovine serum (FBS) that enables porcine cumulus cells to expand in response to FSH in vitro. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) obtained from 4- to 6-mm follicles of prepubertal gilts were cultured at 39 degrees C for 24 h in media that contained human recombinant IGF-1 (50 ng/ml), FBS (15% v:v), or their combination, with or without FSH (1.5 microg/ml), and cumulus expansion was scored microscopically. Expansion was FSH dependent and was observed only when IGF-1, FBS, or both were present. The proportion of FSH-stimulated COC exhibiting full expansion in response to IGF-1 alone did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from the proportion in those cultured with FBS or IGF-1+FBS (79 +/- 2.8% vs. 84 +/- 2.2% or 76 +/- 6.2%, respectively). In a concentration-response study, FSH-stimulated expansion was observed in a significant proportion of COC (32 +/- 2.8% vs. 0% control) at 1 ng/ml IGF-1, with the proportions increasing dose-dependently to maximal values between 10 and 75 ng/ml IGF-1, and decreasing at higher IGF-1 concentrations. Exposure of COC to an IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R)-neutralizing antibody (Ab) for 90 min before addition of FSH and FBS dose-dependently inhibited cumulus expansion, with maximal inhibition at 10 microg/ml (1 +/- 1.0% vs. 68 +/- 1.1% control). In the absence of FBS or IGF-1, some COC had a tendency toward slight expansion when cultured with FSH, and the Ab completely inhibited that effect, suggesting that this may be due to endogenous IGF-1 production by the COC. The Ab effect was reversible and was eliminated by washing twice with fresh medium followed by culture for an additional 24 h in the presence of FSH and FBS. Expression of IGF-1R mRNA in the isolated oocyte and cumulus cells was determined by reverse tramscriptase polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers. The IGF-1R message was detected in both the oocyte and cumulus cells. Collectively, these observations suggest that IGF-1 is a component of serum that enables cumulus cells to expand in response to FSH in vitro, and that the effect is receptor mediated. Since IGF-1 is present in the follicle in vivo, it may have a physiological role during gonadotropin-induced cumulus expansion.