Secretion of angiogenic activity and progesterone by ovine luteal cell types in vitro

In the first experiment, minced luteal tissues from cyclic ewes (n = 5) were incubated for 6 h. Media conditioned by these luteal tissue explants stimulated proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. In a second experiment, corpora lutea (CL) from superovulated ewes (n = 12) were dissociated (two ewes/dispersion) and separated into three fractions: a non-elutriated fraction containing a mixed population of luteal cells, a fraction enriched with small steroidogenic luteal cells, and a fraction containing primarily large steroidogenic luteal cells. Fractions (2 X 10(5) viable steroidogenic luteal cells per milliliter of medium) were incubated with LH in doses of 0, .1, 1, 10, and 100 ng/ml for 7 d. Conditioned media were collected on d 1, 3, 5, and 7 of incubation. Across all days of incubation, media from small luteal cells stimulated proliferation of endothelial cells. Media from large luteal cell incubations, however, secreted an endothelial mitogen only on d 7 of culture. Mixed luteal cell cultures secreted mitogenic activity on d 3, 5, and 7 of incubation, but not on d 1. Luteinizing hormone did not influence release of mitogenic activity by any luteal cell fraction. Across all days of incubation, media from large luteal cells contained more progesterone than those from small luteal cells (528 +/- 137 vs 48 +/- 16 ng/ml with no LH). Mixed (non-elutriated) and small luteal cells increased progesterone secretion in response to LH, and this response was maintained during long-term culture. Large luteal cells did not increase progesterone secretion in response to LH. Steroidogenic activity of all cell types decreased as incubation time progressed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)