Melatonin, but not somatostatin-14 influences in vitro steroidogenesis by ovarian follicles of rainbow trout

Ovarian follicles taken from sexually maturing rainbow trout at the mid-vitellogenic stage of ovarian development were incubated in vitro in the presence or absence of melatonin or somatostatin-14 (SRIF-14) to determine whether there is evidence of a direct action of these factors on gonadal steroidogenesis in fishes. The steroidogenic capacity of the ovarian follicles was assessed by measuring testosterone (T) and 17β-estradiol (E2) release into the incubation medium, and by examining the steroid metabolites produced following incubation of follicles with radiolabelled steroid precursors.Melatonin appears to elicit a biphasic effect on steroidogenesis by in vitro rainbow trout ovarian follicles; at a concentration of 1 × 10−3 M, melatonin stimulated basal T and E2 production, but at a concentration of 1 × 10−2 M there was an inhibition of basal and sGtH-stimulated T and E2 Melatonin may act to reduce the activity of specific steroidogenic enzymes, since there was evidence of melatonin at 1 × 10−2 M enhancing the accumulation of [3H]17α-hydroxyprogesterone in the medium following incubation with [3H]pregnenolone, possibly suggesting the inhibition of C17,20-lyase activity. In contrast, SRIF-14, used at concentrations of 1 × 10−8 M and 1 × 10−6 M, had no effect on basal or sGtH-stimulated E2 or T production by ovarian follicles, incubated in vitro.