[Effect of K+, Na+ ionic channel blocker on progesterone production by rat corpus luteal cells]

Two ionic channel blockers, TEA and TTX, were used in the present investigation to test whether blocking of Na+, K+ ion channels would affect the production of progesterone by corpus luteum (CL) cells of rat. Both TEA (10(-3) mol/L) and TTX (10(-3) mol/L) increased progesterone production significantly after treatment. This effect of the blockers could be completely inhibited by tyrosine (Tyr). In addition, Tyr was capable of reversing the combined effect of TEA, TTX and hCG on progesterone secretion. It is suggested that the concentration gradient of Na+ and K+ across the CL cell membrane in experiments mentioned above is implicated in steroidogenesis.