Granulosa cells from pooled bovine follicles were cultured under chemically-defined (serum-free) conditions to study the effects of exogenous steroids and FSH on production of immunoactive (ia) inhibin, oestradiol and progesterone. Levels of ia-inhibin in media samples and cell lysates were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) using an antiserum raised against a synthetic fragment of human inhibin alpha-subunit [hI alpha (1-32)]. Cells secreted measurable amounts of ia-inhibin, oestradiol and progesterone for at least 7 d of culture, although intracellular levels of inhibin were very low, indicating that newly-synthesized ia-inhibin is rapidly released from the cells. Treatment with androstenedione (0.2 mumol/l) or testosterone (0.2 mumol/l) increased ia-inhibin secretion markedly; levels on Day 5 of culture were approximately 6-fold (P < 0.005) higher than control values. In contrast, treatment with the non-aromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT; 0.2 mumol/l) resulted in only a one- to two-fold increase (P < 0.05) over control values (Day 5). Addition of exogenous oestradiol (8 nmol/l) markedly increased ia-inhibin secretion (8-9 fold on Day 5; P < 0.05) compared with basal levels, whereas progesterone had no effect. Secretion of oestradiol, undetectable in the absence of exogenous androgens, rose daily in the presence of either androstenedione or testosterone, levels rising approximately 6-fold and 9-fold respectively over a 4-d treatment period. Progesterone secretion increased approximately 2-fold over the culture period and was unaffected by any steroid treatment. Treatment with ovine FSH (10ng/ml) alone stimulated secretion of progesterone over basal levels (3-fold higher on Day 6; P < 0.005), but did not affect output of either ia-inhibin or oestradiol. However, exposure to FSH in the presence of androstenedione not only promoted a further 4-fold increase in progesterone output but also led to a dose-dependent suppression of both ia-inhibin (approximately 90% lower on Day 6; P < 0.001) and oestradiol (approximately 80% lower on Day 6; P < 0.001) secretion compared to cells treated with androstenedione alone. These observations indicate that the secretion of ia-inhibin by bovine granulosa cells in culture is positively regulated by oestradiol, implying an autocrine/paracrine role for this hormone in control of ovarian inhibin production. The ability of aromatizable androgens to stimulate secretion of inhibin, coupled with the inability of the non-aromatizable androgen DHT to elicit such an effect, suggests that inhibin output is largely unaffected by androgens prior to their conversion to oestradiol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)