Interaction of AMH and DHEA on ovarian folliculogenesis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18681
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Kano Motohiro 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 講師(非常勤) (00573403)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 卵胞の発達制御 / 抗ミュラー管ホルモン / デヒドロエピアンドロステロン / 胚細胞腫瘍 / 顆粒膜細胞腫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I conducted basic experiments on the relationship between the regulation of folliculogenesis and adrenal hormones.
Using granulosa cell tumor cell lines that express anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) receptors and can produce steroids, I examined the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), an adrenocortical hormone, on the AMH-related genes. Contrary to expectations, no significant change was found.
So I used germ cell tumor cell lines to examine further. Germ cell tumor is known to show different prognoses before and after puberty, during which the changes in adrenal hormone expression are observed. Through the experiment, supplementing DHEA was observed to change the expression of genes, including a specific gene A. Gene A was a gene that showed significant fold changes after supplementing an extra amount of AMH during the previous series of experiments. Thus, it could link AMH and DHEA in folliculogenesis or germ cell development.

Free Research Field

卵胞の発達制御

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

この研究を通して浮かび上がった遺伝子Aは、以前に研究代表者が実施したAMHを用いた別の研究でも大きな発現の変化がみられ着目したことのある遺伝子であった。DHEAの投与でこの遺伝子Aの発現が大幅に減少したことは、DHEAの投与がAMHの作用に直接的影響を持つ可能性を示唆する所見である。今後この遺伝子Aが個々の細胞においてAMH、DHEAそれぞれのホルモンに対してどのような役割をしているのかを詳しく検証する事で、卵胞の発達制御と副腎皮質ホルモンの関連がより詳細が明らかとなり、新たな卵胞の発達制御機構を介した治療開発につながる可能性が期待される。