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S. G. HILLIER, E. L. YONG, P. J. ILLINGWORTH, D. T. BAIRD, R. H. SCHWALL, A. J. MASON, Effect of Recombinant Activin on Androgen Synthesis in Cultured Human Thecal Cells , The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 72, Issue 6, 1 June 1991, Pages 1206–1211, https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-72-6-1206
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Abstract
The effect of activin-A on ovarian androgen synthesis was tested in vitro using serum-free monolayer cultures of human thecal cells. Maximal rates of androgen (androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone) production were induced by treating the cells for 4 days with LH (10 ng/mL) in the presence of insulin-like growth factor-I (≥30 ng/mL). The additional presence of recombinant activin-A (1–100 ng/mL) in culture medium caused dose-dependent suppression of thecal cell androgen production, with 50% maximal inhibition occurring at an activin-A concentration of about 10 ng/mL. Progesterone production was only suppressed by high dose (100 ng/mL) activin-A, and inhibition of steroid production occurred without inhibition of DNA synthesis (tritiated thymidine uptake). These results reveal a potent and selective inhibitory action of activin-A on thecal cell androgen synthesis, consistent with a paracrine function for activin(s) in modulating follicular androgen biosynthesis in the human ovary.