Regulation of Rat Granulosa Cell Plasminogen Activator System: Influence of Interleukin-1β and Ovarian Follicular Development1

Tissue remodeling that accompanies ovarian follicular cell proliferation and migration during follicular maturation and ovulation involves enzymatic degradation of extracellular matrix by proteases such as plasminogen activator (PA). However, the potential role of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in the regulation of the rat granulosa cell PA system during folliculogenesis is not known. In vitro treatment of both undifferentiated and differentiated granulosa cells with FSH (400 ng/ml) elicited a significant increase in secreted (PAs) and cell-associated (PAc) PA activities, which were inhibited by IL-1 beta (0.5-50 ng/ml) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Basal PAs and PAc activities were stimulated in cultures of undifferentiated granulosa cells by IL-1 beta but attenuated in differentiated ones. The inhibitory effect of IL-1 beta was accompanied by an increase in PA inhibitor (PAI) activity irrespective of the stage of follicular development. Both urokinase-type PA (uPA; 30 kDa) and tissue-type PA (tPA; 55 KDa) activities were present in cultures of undifferentiated granulosa cells, but only tPA was detectable in differentiated granulosa cell cultures. Activity of both enzymes was stimulated by FSH but inhibited by the cytokine in vitro. Whereas FSH-induced differentiation of granulosa cells as indicated by an increase in progesterone (P) secretion was attenuated by IL-1 beta irrespective of the cytodifferentiative state of granulosa cells, the inhibitory effect of gonadotropin on DNA synthesis was reversed by the cytokine at both stages of follicular maturation. These findings suggest that during ovarian folliculogenesis, IL-1 beta may modulate the progression of granulosa cells from a proliferative to a differentiated state and may play a control role in determining the fate of the follicle (i.e., ovulation vs. atresia).