Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0003128 (anovulation)
 1,718 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The purpose of this study was to compare the steroidogenic potential of the granulosa, theca, and medullary tissues from polycystic and normal ovaries. These ovarian endocrine compartments were isolated from appropriate ovaries and were cultured in vitro for three days in the absence (control) and presence of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)/luteinizing hormone (LH) (1 lU/ml), N6,O2-dibutyryladenosine-3':5''-cyclic monophosphoric acid (Bu2cAMP) (10(-2)M), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (1.3 U/ml). After the incubation, steroids in the media were measured by radioimmunoassay. Granulosa cells (10(5) cells per dish) from 4 to 7 mm follicles of normal and polycystic ovaries secreted progesterone spontaneously during the culture period and the production of progesterone was markedly stimulated (between tenfold and thirtyfold) by gonadotropins and Bu2cAMP but not by ACTH. Little, if any, androgen (androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone) or estrogen (estrone and estradiol) accumulated in the media of any granulosa cell culture. The control cultures of theca tissue from normal and polycystic ovaries secreted large amounts of androstenedione and progesterone and the production of these steroids by normal and polycystic ovary theca was stimulated in most cases by LH/FSH and Bu2cAMP but not by ACTH. Both normal and polycystic ovary theca secreted some testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone but little, if any, estrone or estradiol accumulated in any theca culture. The medullary tissue of normal and polycystic ovaries produced only trace amounts of steroids in vitro except for the results from one polycystic ovary with hyperthecosis in which case significant quantities of C19 and C18 steroids were secreted. These experiments have demonstrated that isolated granulosa and theca cells from midantral follicles of normal and polycystic ovaries have a similar capacity to secrete C21 and C19 steroids in the absence and presence of trophic agents. Therefore, it seems probable that chronic anovulation in patients with polycystic ovaries is not caused by an obvious deficiency in the de novo steroidogenic potential of the multiple midantral follicles of the polycystic ovaries or by the absence of gonadotropin receptors on the polycystic ovary follicular cells.
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PMID:Endocrine studies of normal and polycystic ovarian tissues in vitro. 22 Aug 77

Physicians recruited 6 women aged 17-40 years with cyclic pelvic pain due to endometriosis for a prospective open trial conducted at the Clinical Research Center in San Diego, California. They wanted to assess endocrine and clinical responses to daily administration of 100 mg/d of RU-486 for 3 months. They all experienced amenorrhea during treatment. Moreover, urinary ovarian steroid metabolites were acyclic indicating anovulation. Mean luteinizing hormone (LH; p.02) and LH pulse (p.05) amplitude increased after treatment with RU-486, yet the LH pulse frequency did not change. Further, serum cortisol (p.01) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (p.05) also increased indicating that RU- 486 had an antiglucocorticoid effect. Menstrual cyclicity returned immediately after terminating treatment. 2 patients even became pregnant. Further, all patients reported less pelvic pain during treatment yet the extent of endometriosis did not improve. Indeed most received alternative treatment for endometriosis prior to enrollment in this study with no reduction in pain. The researchers could not determine the mechanism of pain relief or chronic anovulation, however. Further studies using lower doses and longer term therapy with RU-486 in patients with endometriosis are needed.
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PMID:Endocrine responses to long-term administration of the antiprogesterone RU486 in patients with pelvic endometriosis. 171 96

This study was carried out to further characterize the pituitary-adrenal androgen responses of hyperandrogenic patients with 'classic' polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) and others who were less distinctive and have been called 'PCO-like'. PCO-like patients differed from PCO only in that serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were normal and anovulation was not consistent. Ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) resulted in normal responses of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol in the two groups when compared to controls, while androstenedione (delta 4A) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) responses were significantly elevated. There were no differences in the responses of PCO and PCO-like patients. Although basal DHEA levels correlated with DHEA responses of CRF, basal levels of DHEA sulfate (S) could not be used to predict CRF responses. These data further confirm that there is heightened adrenal androgen activity in PCO whether the patients are 'classic' or PCO-like. Serum DHEA-S does not appear to be a good marker for this adrenal hyperactivity and might in turn also be under the control of other factors.
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PMID:Pituitary-adrenal responses to ovine corticotropin-releasing factor in polycystic ovary syndrome and in other hyperandrogenic patients. 196 38

A 27 year old nulliparous woman with a history of chronic anovulation and signs of virilization with a markedly elevated serum level of testosterone, underwent a laparotomy with peroperative bilateral ovarian vein catheterization and bilateral bisection of both ovaries. A solid, 1.5 cm, well delimited tumor located centrally in the right ovary, was excised. Testosterone levels in ovarian venous blood from the tumor bearing side, were 88.4 nmol/l and from the contralateral ovary 3.9 nmol/l. Histopathological examination showed a Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor which was radically extirpated. Postoperatively, the serum levels of androgen normalized, the woman had regular cycles, became pregnant and delivered a normal female baby. Pieces of tumor tissue were incubated for 2 h, with and without addition of gonadotropins and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Human chorionic gonadotropin (CG), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) caused significant increases in cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production in tumor tissue in vitro, as compared to controls. Furthermore, ACTH also significantly stimulated 17 beta-estradiol production. In tumor cells cultured for 48 h, FSH slightly, but not significantly, increased the production of progesterone. In the cell culture, [3H]-thymidine incorporation into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was stimulated by IGF1 alpha but not by hCG and FSH. It is concluded that Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors may be sensitive to gonadotropins and ACTH and that their small size, solid shape and intra-ovarian localization can cause diagnostic difficulties.
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PMID:In vitro production of cyclic AMP and steroids from an ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor. Notes on clinical management. 773 6