Failure of contraceptive steroids to modify human chorionic gonadotrophin secretion by hydatidiform mole tissue and choriocarcinoma cells in culture.

The effect of steroids contained in oral contraceptives, namely ethinylestradiol:17 alpha-ethinyl-1,3,5,(10)-estratriene-3, 17-diol (E) and norethindrone acetate:17 beta-acetoxy-17-ethinyl-4-estren-3-one (N), on cell replication and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion by choriocarcinoma cells in monolayer culture and by hydatidiform mole tissue maintained in organ culture were studied. The steroids were added to the culture medium individually or in combination to achieve a range of concentrations (10-10 to 10-4), within and beyond the presumed concentration of these substances in the blood of women taking oral contraceptives. The effect of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) on hCG secretion by choriocarcinoma cells in monolayer culture also was investigated. The rate of hCG production by either choriocarcinoma cells in monolayer culture or by hydatidiform mole tissue maintained in organ culture was not affected by the hormones used in this study; indeed hCG secretion remained reasonably unchanged even with high concentrations of steroids (up to 10-4 M) or LHRH (up to 10-4 mg x ml-1). Cell replication, as measured by increase in amount of cellular protein and DNA, was not stimulated by either of these compounds.