Table 1. FSH/E2-mediated upregulation of LHCGR mRNA correlates with increases in progesterone production.

Granulosa cells were isolated from immature female rats treated subcutaneously with estradiol (1.5 mg) for three consecutive days. Cells were cultured in serum-free media for 24 hours and then treated with FSH (50 ng/ml) and E2 (1nM) for 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. One set of the above groups was then treated with hCG (50 ng/ml) for 24 hours for progesterone measurement. At the end of the treatments, media were collected and progesterone was assayed as described in detail in the Methods.

Progesterone (pg/ml)
FSH/E2 treatment Time	Control	+ HCG (50 ng/ml)
0h	3.21 ± 0.4	5.18 ± 1.2
4h	9.76 ± 1.4a	18.43 ± 0.13bc
6h	14.82 ± 0.61a	27.08 ± 1.12bc
24h	23.79 ± 5.52a	61.57 ± 4.0bc
48h	43.29 ± 2.9a	70.18 ± 6.6bc

^aP<.05 vs. 0h–hCG (control)

^bP<.05 vs. 0h+hCG

^cP<.05 vs. FSH/E2–hCG, at each time point.