EFFECT OF GLYCOPROTEIN AND PROTEIN HORMONES ON HUMAN MENINGIOMA CELL-PROLIFERATION IN-VITRO

Speculation that meningiomas are subject to female hormone influence i s supported by their higher incidence in women and reports of exacerba tion of symptoms during pregnancy and the luteal phase of the menstrua l cycle. Previous reports have concentrated on the effects of the ster oid hormones oestradiol and progesterone on meningioma proliferation. In this study we have investigated the roles of the glycoproteins LH, FSH and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and the protein hormones prolactin (PRL) and human placental lactogen (hPL) on the proliferatio n of human meningiomas in vitro. The three glycoproteins had an inhibi tory effect on meningioma proliferation ranging from 5.0-50.0%, 10.0-6 3.0% and 2.6+/-34.0% at the highest concentrations of LH (25 mIU/ml). ml), FSH (15 mIU/ml) and hCG (30 IU/ml) respectively. Cultures were al so treated with PRL (100 and 200ng/ml) and hPL (5 and 10 ng/ml) and th e protein hormones had a stimulatory effect on cell proliferation of 1 2.0-55.5% and 11.4-73.6% when treated with 200ng/ml PRL and 10 mu g/ml hPL respectively. Our data suggest that increasing levels of the prot ein hormones PRL and hPL, falling levels of hCG and the absence of LH and FSH in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy may play a rol e in the acceleration of meningioma growth in these stages of pregnanc y.