Effect of mouse epidermal growth factor on DNA and protein synthesis, progesterone and inhibin production by bovine granulosa cells in culture

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Abstract
The effect of mouse epidermal growth factor (EGF) was investigated on DNA and protein synthesis, progesterone and inhibin production by bovine antral granulosa cells. When incubated for the whole period of culture, EGF inhibited inhibin production the second day of culture, progesterone the third and the fourth days whereas it stimulated DNA and protein synthesis only the fourth day of culture. Inhibition of progesterone and stimulation of DNA and protein were dose-dependent when treatment with EGF (pre-incubation) is followed by 24 h without EGF, a stimualtory effect on DNA and protein synthesis was observed after 48 and 72-h preincubation. Progesterone was reduced after 3 day preincubation and inhibin only after 2-day pre-incubation. Effects observed after 3-day pre-incubation were dose-dependent. These experiments demonstrated the stimulatory effect of EGF on growth of granulosa cells and its inhibitory action on hormonal production by these cells in vitro. The inhibitory effect on progesterone and inhibin production is more precocious than stimulatory effect on DNA and protein synthesis. The inhibitory action of EGF on granulosa cell production of progesterone and inhibin could thus be not directly dependent on its stimulatory action on DNA synthesis.