THE REGULATION OF PROGESTERONE AND HCG PRODUCTION FROM PLACENTAL CELLS BY INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA

We have investigated the roles of interleukin-1 beta as a regulator of progesterone and chorionic gonadotrophin production from human placen tal cells. In primary placental cells IL-1 beta increased hCG synthesi s through a cyclic AMP-independent pathway, and was without effect on progesterone or cyclic AMP production. Since dibutyryl cyclic AMP incr eased progesterone production, this suggests that there is no coupling between the IL-1 beta receptor and the adenylate cyclase enzyme in th ese cells. Immortalised trophoblast cells responded to IL-1 beta by in creasing progesterone production through a cyclic AMP-dependent mechan ism, but hCG production by these cells was unaffected by IL-1 beta or dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Further studies are needed to identify the role of IL-1 beta as a possible regulator of progesterone production in pri mary placental cells. While hCG production in first-trimester trophobl ast was increased by dibutyryl cyclic AMP and IL-1 beta, both these ef fects may involve other factors such as IL-6, and their second messeng er systems.