Regulation of cyclooxygenase activity in cultured endometrial stromal cells by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Objective: To assess the ability of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to regulate cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme activity and prostaglandins (PGs) synthesis, specifically PGE2 production in stromal cells, neither of which have been addressed in the literature.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Department of obstetrics and gynecology at a university hospital.

Exogenous granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor promotes follicular development in the newborn rat in vivo.

Background: Expression and selective cellular localization of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and its receptor in ovarian tissue imply an autocrine/paracrine role in ovarian function. Evidence indicating a functional role for GM-CSF in ovarian follicular cell function has been provided by studies with GM-CSF knockout (GM-/-) mice, which suggest that GM-CSF influences events associated with murine follicular maturation.

Methods: Immature female rats were treated with GM-CSF, FSH or saline for 5 or 10 days.