Effects of unsaturated fatty acids on progesterone secretion and selected protein kinases in goat granulosa cells.

Abstract Previous studies in cattle have shown influences of dietary unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) supplementation on ovarian function. However, it is unclear whether these UFA exert direct or indirect effects on ovarian steroid production or their mechanisms of action. We have recently shown that 5′AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates progesterone secretion through mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (MAPK ERK1/2) in rodent granulosa cells. Here, we investigated the effects of 3 UFAs, oleic acid (OA), linoleic acid (LA), and α-linolenic acid (ALA) on progesterone secretion in goat granulosa cells. Finally, we examined the effects of UFAs on MAPK ERK1/2 and AMPK phosphorylation in these granulosa cells. Oleic acid and LA (10 μM each), but not ALA (100 μM), increased progesterone secretion ( P -8 M) or FSH (5 × 10 −8  M). The different AMPK subunits, except for γ3, are present in the goat ovary. Treatment with metformin (10 mM), an activator of AMPK, increased AMPK phosphorylation ( P P P P