Abstract. Luteal cells utilize lipoproteins (LIPs) for progesterone (P) synthesis. A luteolysin prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) has shown to prevent the LIPs utilization for steroidogenesis in bovine midcycle luteal cells. However, a luteolytic injection of PGF2α before Day 5 (Day 0=estrus) can not induce the regression of the corpus luteum (CL). This suggests that the intraluteal mechanism of PGF2α action on the LIPs utilization in early CL is different from that of the mid luteal stage. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the interaction between PGF2α and LIPs on the secretion of P and oxytocin (OT) from bovine early CL. An in vitro microdialysis system (MDS) was used as a model. Each bovine early CL (Days 3-4) was implanted with the MDS, and maintained in an organ culture chamber. The infusion of LIPs (1 µg/ml) stimulated P release during infusion, but had no effect on OT release. The infusion of PGF2α (10 -5 M) stimulated both P and OT release during infusion. When LIPs were infused after PGF2α exposure, P and OT release continued to be stimulated until 3 h thereafter. The results show that PGF2α is capable of enhancing the LIPs utilization in early CL, thus support the concept that luteal PGF2α acts as a luteotropic promoter in bovine early CL. Key words: PGF2α, Lipoproteins, Early CL, Cow.(J. Reprod. Dev. 46: [335][336][337][338][339] 2000) t is universally known that an injection of prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ) or its analogue after the mid luteal phase of the estrous cycle induces a rapid regression of the corpus luteum (CL) [1]. Bovine luteal cells utilize both low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as substrates of progesterone (P) in vitro [2]. PGF 2α has shown to prevent the utilization of these lipoproteins (LIPs) for steroidogenesis in bovine luteal cells derived from mid cycle CL in vitro [3]. However, an injection of PGF2α before Day 5 (Day 0 = estrus) is not able to induce normal regression of CL [4,5]. The characteristics of PGF 2α receptors in bovine CL do not change from early to mid luteal phase [6]. A single injection of PGF2α on Day 4 of the estrous cycle had no effect on intraluteal and s e r u m P c o n c e n t r a t i o n s a n d s t e a d y -s t a t e concentrations of mRNA encoding steroidogenic acute regulatory protein that is involved in cholesterol utilization in the cow, whereas a treatment of PGF2α on Day 10 decreased these factors [7]. Furthermore, it is known that PGF2α production in early CL is more active than other luteal stages [8,9]. Therefore, the action of PGF2α in early CL on the utilization of LIPs may differ from that of midcycle CL. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the interaction between PGF2α and LIPs on the secretion of P and OT from bovine early CL.