MONOCYTE CHEMOTACTIC PROTEIN-1 EXPRESSION IN HUMAN PREOVULATORY FOLLICLES AND OVARIAN-CELLS

There is a considerable population of macrophages (5-15% of the cells) within the human ovarian follicle at the time of ovulation. Macrophag es are also present within the ovarian stroma, mostly near perifollicu lar capillaries. We hypothesized that macrophage migration in and arou nd the preovulatory follicle is hormonally regulated and that regulati on of macrophage migration occurs through local modulation of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) that chemoattracts and activates monocy tes/macrophages. In this regard, we investigated the expression and re gulation of MCP-1 in human follicular fluid and in ovarian stromal and granulosa-lutein cell cultures. The concentration of MCP-1 in follicu lar fluid samples obtained from women prior to the administration of h CG was (n = 4) 90 +/- 27 (mean +/- S.E.) pg/ml; in samples obtained 12 h after the hCG administration it was (n = 3) 135 +/- 23 pg/mL; in fo llicular fluids obtained 34 h after the hCG administration it was (n = 126) 322 +/- 46 pg/mL (P = 0.007 vs. pre-hCG). The mean ratio of foll icular fluid/serum MCP-1 levels was 4.18. There was a correlation betw een follicular fluid MCP-1 levels and follicular fluid or serum proges terone levels (r = 0.21, P = 0.02; r = 0.29, P = 0.03, respectively). MCP-1 mRNA and the protein were expressed in ovarian stromal and granu losalutein cells in culture and were increased by interleukin-1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor-cr in a time- and concentration-dependent ma nner. LH/hCG induced higher levels of MCP-1 mRNA expression and protei n production in both cell cultures. We propose that regulation of MCP- 1 in ovarian stromal and granulosa-lutein cells by cytokines may play a role in the physiology of periovulatory events. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc ience Ireland Ltd.