| dc.description.abstract | Heptachlor, a chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide, suppresses the production of
progesterone and estradiol in the female rat in vivo or in isolated ovaries in vitro. In this study
the effect of heptachlor on steroid hormone production by isolated rat luteal and follicular
cells, in the presence of two precursor hormones was investigated. Ovaries were isolated
from anesthetized mature normocyclic virgin rats (3 to 4 months old), under sterile
conditions. Corpora lutea and follicles were microscopically dissected out and separately
enzymatically dispersed with collagenase at 37° C. Viable cells collected after centrifugation
were used at a concentration of approximately 2.5× 10 5 cells/10 mL. Both luteal and
follicular cell preparations were separately incubated overnight (15 h) at 37° C in the
presence of pregnenolone (P5) and androstenedione (A4) at a concentration of 6.0 nmol … | en_US |
