Activin and follistatin as local regulators in the human ovary.

There is increasing evidence that activin may act as an autocrine/paracrine regulator of ovarian functions. Activin subunit mRNAs as well as activin immunoreactivities have been detected in the human ovary. Activin alters granulosa cell proliferation and steroidogenesis. The effect of activin is most likely mediated through specific receptors as mRNAs encoding several forms of activin receptors, namely ActR-I, ActR-IB, ActR-II and ActR-IIB are found in the preovulatory follicles as well as in cultured granulosa-luteal cells. Activin-binding protein, follistatin (FS), is also produced in the human ovary. In addition to neutralizing the effect of activin on steroid production, FS on its own also enhances estradiol production, an effect similar to that seen after activin treatment. These findings strongly suggest that activin and FS are important local regulators of steroidogenesis in the human ovary.