The aim of our in vitro experiments with isolated porcine ovarian follicles was to study the effects of gonadotropins, GH, IGF-I and oxytocin (OT) on release of ovarian steroid, OT, IGF-I, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), prostaglandin F (PGF), prostaglandin E (PGE) and cAMP. It was found that quarters of ovarian follicles cultured for 8 days produced significant amounts of progesterone, estradiol-17 beta, OT and IGFBP-3 with peaks of accumulation from the 3rd to the 8th day of culture. Addition of serum promoted progesterone, estradiol and OT release, whilst accumulation of IGFBP-3 was maintained to a greater extent in serum-free medium. GH (10 ng/ml or above) was able to inhibit androstenedione, OT, PGF and IGFBP-3, to stimulate IGF-I and cAMP, and to alter testosterone and PGE release by follicles cultured in serum-supplemented and/or serum-free medium. IGF-I (10 ng/ml or more) inhibited androstenedione and PGF secretion, stimulated testosterone, estradiol, OT and cAMP production, but did not influence progesterone, IGFBP-3 or PGE output in these conditions. OT (100 ng/ml) was able to inhibit androstenedione and to stimulate testosterone, IGF-I, PGF and PGE, but not estradiol or IGFBP-3 release. A stimulatory effect of LH on progesterone and OT and an inhibitory influence of LH on estradiol secretion in the serum-supplemented medium were observed. FSH in these conditions stimulated OT, but not progesterone or estradiol secretion. The use of this experimental model suggests the involvement of gonadotropins, OT, GH and IGF-I in the control of ovarian steroid and nonapeptide hormone, growth factor, growth factor-binding protein, prostaglandin and cyclic nucleotide production. The stimulatory effect of GH on IGF-I, and the stimulatory influence of IGF-I on OT, as well as coincidence of the majority of effects of IGF-I and OT, suggest the existence of a GH-IGF-I-OT axis. On the other hand, the different patterns of action of GH and IGF-I on OT, estrogen and IGFBP-3 suggest that part of the GH effect on ovarian cells is IGF-I independent.

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