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Baboon corpus luteum: the effect of melatonin on in vitro progesterone production
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030.
Objective:
To determine the effect of melatonin on baboon corpus luteum (CL) cell progesterone (P) production.
Design:
Five baboon CL obtained during the midluteal phase by luteectomy were dissociated using collagenase, and incubations were performed (50,000 cells per plate) in quadruplicate for 3 hours at 37 degrees C with melatonin (0.001 to 1.0 ng/mL) (basal) or with melatonin and 10 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (hCG-stimulated). Total P was measured by a specific radioimmunoassay.
Main Outcome Measures:
Progesterone concentrations measured in the presence and absence of melatonin and hCG.
Results:
Melatonin (0.01 to 1.0 ng/mL) inhibited basal P production in all the CL (41.8 +/- 9.9 ng P without melatonin compared with 32.2 +/- 2.0 ng P, 28.4 +/- 2.1 ng with 0.01 and 1.0 ng/mL melatonin, respectively). Human chorionic gonadotropin-stimulated P production was significantly inhibited with as little as 0.01 ng of melatonin (150.8 +/- 11.4 ng with 10 IU hCG versus 120.3 +/- 6.4 ng with 10 IU hCG and 1.0 ng melatonin). The degree of inhibition in the hCG-stimulated cells was greater than in the nonstimulated cells. Melatonin at a concentration of 0.001 ng/mL did not affect P production in both stimulated and nonstimulated cells. Serotonin in similar concentrations had no effect on luteal cell P production.
Conclusion:
These findings indicate that melatonin exerts a suppressive effect on baboon dispersed luteal cell P production and thus may play a role in luteal function.