Serotonin-induced stimulation of progesterone production by cow luteal cells in vitro

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Abstract
The addition of acetylcholine or histamine (10-7 to 10-4 M), .gamma.-aminobutyric acid, a dopamine agonist, and melatonin (10-7 to 10-5 M) did not alter basal or LH-stimulated progesterone production (P > 0.05). The addition of the specific .beta.2-adrenergic agonist terbutaline and salbutamol did not signficantly elevate progesterone production. Treatment of luteal cells with serotonin (5-HT), 10-6 to 10-4 M, increased the production of progesterone (P < 0.05). This stimulated production was inhibited by the addition of mianserin (10-5 M, a 5-HT antagonist; P < 0.05). Isoproterenol (10-7 to 10-4 M) also resulted in significant increases in progesterone production (P < 0.05). The combined treatments of 5-HT + LH, isoproterenol + LH, or isoproterenol + 5-HT did not result in a further increase in progesterone above that observed in response to LH or isoproterenol alone (P > 0.05). The isoproterenol induced progesterone production could be blocked by butoxamine (10-5 M, a .beta.2-antagonist), or practolol (10-5 M, a .beta.1-antagonist), but was inhibited by rpopranolol (10-5 M, a general .beta.-antagonist; P < 0.05). The response to isoproterenol was unaffected by mianserin (10-5 M). These results demonstrate a possible role for 5-HT in the regulation of steroidogenesis by the corpus luteum of the cow. Furthermore, these results suggest that serotonin-induced progesterone production is a receptor-mediated event.