In vitro bioassay for human chorionic gonadotrophin
Abstract. The adenylate cyclase stimulation (ACS) assay is a new in vitro bioassay for human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) which is based on the hCG-induced accumulation of cAMP in the incubation medium of decapsulated rat testes. The detection limit for hCG is 0.7 mIU/ml (P < 0.05). A linear dose-response curve on semilogarithmic plots was obtained using 0.18, 0.45, and 1.125 IU hCG/ml. The precision of the ACS assay was satisfactory (λ-value: 0.20 + 0.02, mean ± sd), n = 14). Intra-assay variation: 15% and inter-assay variation: 20%. Medium cAMP was determined by means of a bovine adrenal protein binding assay. Sensitivity: 0.2 pmoles cAMP/ml. Range: 2 to 40 pmoles/ml. Intra-assay variations: 5% and inter-assay variation: 8%. As pre-conditions for the ACS assay, cAMP kinetics and dose-response curves were investigated. In kinetic studies of cAMP production the lag phase between hormone addition and increase of medium cAMP is shortened with higher hCG concentration. The highest concentration of cAMP was measured after an incubation of 3 h. Thereafter the concentration declines exponentially due to a decrease of intracellular cAMP formation and pre-dominating activity of extracellular phosphodiesterase. A prolongation of cAMP half-life from 16.8 min to 218 min was obtained by the addition of theophylline (70 mm). Pre-treatment of rats with 50 IU sc 48 and 24 h prior to in vitro tests caused a complete inhibition of cAMP response to hCG stimulation. Four weeks after this desensitization, the sensitivity of the testes had recovered to 80%.