Inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Ovine Ovarian Follicles in vitro by Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin

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Abstract
Cholesterol biosynthesis from DL-[2-14C]mevalonic acid ([14C]MVA) was demonstrated in ovine ovarian follicles and isolated thecal tissues and granulosal cells incubated in vitro. Thecal tissues more readily synthesized cholesterol than did granulosal cells when incubated separately, but in the intact follicle the newly synthesized cholesterol distributed evenly between the 2 tissue layers, indicating that the theca could act as a supplementary source of cholesterol for the granulosal cells. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) added to the incubation medium inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis from [14C]MVA by intact follicles and isolated thecal tissues, but not granulosal cells. This hCG-induced inhibition was evident in whole follicles incubated for 12-48 h, but not at 3-6 h, and was demonstrated in thecal tissues incubated for 3 h. In all cases where inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis was observed, 14C label accumulated in a product characterized by TLC and vapor phase chromatography as lanosterol, implying that the hCG block lies between lanosterol and cholesterol. Treatment of follicles with hCG also reduced the amount of 14C label incorporated into the cholesteryl ester fraction. These changes were accompanied by a corresponding reduction in the tissue content of cholesteryl ester, but there were no changes in the specific activities to indicate that newly synthesized cholesteryl ester was used selectively as a substrate for progestin biosynthesis.