A gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist inhibits GnRH- but not LH-induced meiosis in follicle-enclosed rat oocytes in vitro

1982 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Ekholm ◽  
T. Hillensjö ◽  
W. J. Le Maire ◽  
C. Magnusson ◽  
C. S. Sheela Rani

Abstract. Previous studies have shown that gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) can induce resumption of meiosis in follicle-enclosed rat oocytes. In the present study a GnRH antagonistic analogue ([d-pGlul, d-Phe2,-d-Trp3,6]LRF) was found to effectively abolish the stimulatory effect of a GnRH agonist upon resumption of meiosis and lactate accumulation in isolated pre-ovulatory rat follicles but the have no effect on LH stimulation of these parameters. It is concluded that although LH and GnRH can evoke a similar response they act through separate receptor sites and that it is unlikely that GnRH mediates the effect of LH on meiosis or glycolysis.

1990 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Picton ◽  
C. G. Tsonis ◽  
A. S. McNeilly

ABSTRACT The study investigated the relationship between the plasma concentration of FSH and the stimulation of preovulatory follicle growth in vivo in ewes chronically treated with the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist buserelin (HOE 766). Welsh Mountain ewes with regular oestrous cycles were treated for 6 weeks with two discs implants placed s.c., each containing 5 mg of the agonist in a matrix of polyhydroxybutyric acid. Treatment with the agonist for 35 days produced a sustained suppression of the plasma concentration of FSH, stopped the pulsatile release of LH and prevented follicular development beyond 2·5 mm diameter. There was no difference between the total number of follicles > 1·0 mm diameter present in the ovaries of GnRH agonist-treated ewes and day 8 luteal phase control ewes. During the sixth week of agonist treatment ewes were infused with ovine FSH (6 μg NIADDK-oFSH16/h) in the presence of only basal concentrations of LH. After 24, 48, 72 or 120 h of FSH infusion, the mean number of follicles > 1 ·0 mm diameter per ewe was not significantly different between treated and control animals. Infusion of FSH caused a timedependent increase in (1) the number of follicles per ovary >2·5 mm, (2) the mean diameter of these follicles and (3) the proportion of the large follicles which could be classified as oestrogenic (> 3·7 nmol oestradiol/follicle per h in vitro). Injection of human chorionic gonadotrophin (750IU i.m.) after 120 h of FSH infusion caused the majority of these large follicles to ovulate and form apparently normal corpora lutea. These results indicate that, in the absence of pulsatile LH, FSH stimulates the growth of normal large oestrogenic follicles which, when stimulated, ovulate to produce viable corpora lutea. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 126, 297–307


1989 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.-L. Kolho ◽  
I. Huhtaniemi

ABSTRACT The acute and long-term effects of pituitary-testis suppression with a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, d-Ser(But)6des-Gly10-GnRH N-ethylamide (buserelin; 0·02, 0·1, 1·0 or 10 mg/kg body weight per day s.c.) or antagonist, N-Ac-d-Nal(2)1,d-p-Cl-Phe2,d-Trp3,d-hArg(Et2)6,d-Ala10-GnRH (RS 68439; 2 mg/kg body weight per day s.c.) were studied in male rats treated on days 1–15 of life. The animals were killed on day 16 (acute effects) or as adults (130–160 days; long-term effects). Acutely, the lowest dose of the agonist decreased pituitary FSH content and testicular LH receptors, but with increasing doses pituitary and serum LH concentrations, intratesticular testosterone content and weights of testes were also suppressed (P< 0·05–0·01). No decrease was found in serum FSH or in weights of accessory sex organs even with the highest dose of the agonist, the latter finding indicating continuing secretion of androgens. The GnRH antagonist treatment suppressed pituitary LH and FSH contents and serum LH (P< 0·05–0·01) but, as with the agonist, serum FSH remained unaltered. Testicular testosterone and testis weights were decreased (P <0·01) but testicular LH receptors remained unchanged. Moreover, the seminal vesicle and ventral prostate weights were reduced, in contrast to the effects of the agonists. Pituitary LH and FSH contents had recovered in all adult rats treated neonatally with agonist and there was no effect on serum LH and testosterone concentrations or on fertility. In contrast, in adult rats treated neonatally with antagonist, weights of testis and accessory sex organs remained decreased (P <0·01–0·05) but hormone secretion from the pituitary and testis had returned to normal except that serum FSH was increased by 80% (P <0·01). Interestingly, 90% of the antagonist-treated animals were infertile. It is concluded that treatment with a GnRH agonist during the neonatal period does not have a chronic effect on pituitary-gonadal function. In contrast, GnRH antagonist treatment neonatally permanently inhibits the development of the testis and accessory sex organs and results in infertility. Interestingly, despite the decline of pituitary FSH neonatally, neither of the GnRH analogues was able to suppress serum FSH values and this differs from the concomitant changes in LH and from the effects of similar treatments in adult rats. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 123, 83–91


1977 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 728-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Epstein ◽  
B. Lunenfeld ◽  
Z. Kraiem

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate effects of androgens on gonadotrophin release in response to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) stimulation in vitro. Hemipituitaries of mature male rats were pre-incubated for 90 min with T, DHT, 3α- or 3β-diol (4 ng or 4 μg/ml medium), and the incubation continued for 240 min after adding Gn-RH (1 ng/ml medium). Gn-RH caused a 4-5-fold rise in the secretion of LH and a 2-fold rise in FSH secretion. The effect of the androgens was dose-dependent. At low levels, T and DHT exerted no effect on Gn-RH-stimulated gonadotrophin release, whereas the two androstanediols (3α- and 3β-diol) augmented the Gn-RH stimulation of both gonadotrophins, though preferentially LH. With high doses of androgens, the results obtained showed: a) no effect of T; b) DHT suppression of the Gn-RH-stimulated FSH release; c) suppression of Gn-RH stimulation by 3α- and 3β-diol regarding both LH and FSH. It is concluded that T exerts through its reduced metabolites a feedback effect on the pituitary gland responsiveness to Gn-RH stimulation.


1988 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 491-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Daniels ◽  
P. Newland ◽  
J. Dunn ◽  
P. Kendall-Taylor ◽  
M. C. White

ABSTRACT We have studied the effects of TRH and native gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and of a GnRH agonist (Buserelin; [d-Ser(But)6]GnRH(1–9) nonapeptide-ethylamide), on LH, FSH, α subunit and LH-β subunit secretion from three human gonadotrophin-secreting pituitary adenomas in dispersed cell culture. During a 24 h study, treatment with 276 nmol TRH/1 resulted in a significant (P < 0·05) stimulated release of FSH and α subunit from all three adenomas, and LH from the two adenomas secreting detectable concentrations of this glycoprotein; treatment with 85 nmol GnRH/l significantly (P < 0·05) stimulated the release of α subunit from all three, but FSH from only two and LH from only one adenoma. During a long-term 28-day study, basal FSH and α subunit concentrations were maintained, but secretion of LH, and LH-β (detectable from one tumour only), declined with time from two of the three adenomas. Addition of Buserelin to the cultures resulted in the continuous (P < 0·05) stimulation of α subunit secretion from all three adenomas, and of LH and FSH from two, whilst a transient stimulatory effect on LH and FSH secretion was seen from a third adenoma, with subsequent secretion rates declining towards control values. These data show that human gonadotrophin-secreting adenomas demonstrate variable stimulatory responses to hypothalamic TRH and GnRH, and that during chronic treatment with a GnRH agonist the anticipated desensitizing effect of the drug was not observed in two out of three adenomas studied. The mechanism for this is not clear, but such drugs are unlikely to be of therapeutic value in the management of gonadotrophin-secreting tumours. The data also suggest that GnRH and GnRH agonists have a differential effect on the in-vitro release of intact gonadotrophins and the common α subunit. J. Endocr. (1988) 118, 491–496


1994 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Brooks ◽  
A S McNeilly

Abstract To investigate the regulation of the sheep gonadotrophin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRH-R) gene expression, two different treatment regimes were used. Experiment 1 examined the effects of twice daily injections of ovine follicular fluid (oFF, 15 ml s.c.) as a source of inhibin, and daily GnRH antagonist injections (Nal-Glu.HOAc, 2 mg s.c.) on days 9–12 of the oestrous cycle. Luteolysis was induced on day 12 with prostaglandin (PG) and the ewes killed at two different stages; day 12 (luteal) and 18 h after PG injection. Experiment 2 examined the effect of a single injection of oestradiol benzoate (100 μg i.m.) 18 h before death in luteal phase ewes and ewes chronically implanted with the GnRH agonist, buserelin. In both experiments, pituitaries were removed at death for determination of pituitary GnRH binding, LH content and levels of GnRH-R and LHβ mRNA. In addition in experiment 1, follicles ≥2·5 mm were dissected from the ovaries for determination of oestradiol content. In experiment 1, oFF treatment during the luteal phase completely inhibited follicle oestradiol production but was without effect on the other parameters measured. After cessation of oFF treatment and induction of luteolysis, a significant (P<0·05) increase in plasma LH occurred but the normal follicular increase in both GnRH-R mRNA levels and GnRH binding seen in control ewes was prevented. GnRH antagonist treatment alone or in combination with oFF also inhibited follicle oestradiol production, prevented the increase in GnRH-R mRNA, completely inhibited GnRH binding and significantly decreased LHβ mRNA levels. Pituitary LH content was unaffected by any treatment. In experiment 2, oestradiol treatment did not affect GnRH-R mRNA levels, GnRH binding, LHβ mRNA or pituitary LH content in luteal phase ewes, whilst chronic GnRH agonist treatment acted to decrease these parameters dramatically. A single injection of oestradiol in the GnRH agonist treated ewes significantly (P<0·05) increased GnRH-R mRNA levels and completely restored GnRH binding to luteal levels, without any effect on LHβ mRNA or pituitary LH content. These results suggest that the control of GnRH receptor expression in the sheep is directly related to oestradiol and not to the action of GnRH itself. Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 143, 175–182


1994 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Muttukrishna ◽  
P G Knight

Abstract To investigate the extent to which the direct actions of inhibin, activin and oestradiol on pituitary output of FSH and LH are dependent on the presence of functional gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors, we have compared the effects of these agents on cultured ovine pituitary cells derived from control and GnRH agonist-suppressed ewes. Chronic treatment with GnRH agonist reduced plasma LH and FSH levels (P<0·01) and abolished GnRH-induced release of LH and FSH both in vivo and in vitro. As expected, basal LH release and LH cell content in vitro were drastically reduced in GnRH agonist-suppressed cells (P<0·001). However, basal FSH release and FSH cell content were approximately twofold higher than in control cells (P<0·001). Irrespective of whether the cells had been desensitized to GnRH, inhibin and oestradiol were both found to suppress basal FSH release and FSH cell content in a dose-dependent fashion (P<0·001). Although inhibin had no effect on basal release of LH from control cells, it markedly enhanced GnRH-induced release (P<0·001). In contrast, inhibin increased (P<0·001) basal LH release from GnRH agonist-suppressed cells (which were unresponsive to the GnRH challenge). Inhibin had no overall effect on total LH content/well for either control or GnRH agonist-suppressed cells. Treatment with oestradiol, on the other hand, reduced total LH content/well, an effect which was more pronounced with GnRH agonist-suppressed cells (−44%; P<0·001) than with control cells (−14%, P<0·01). Whereas in control cells activin had no significant effect on any aspect of FSH production examined, in GnRH agonist-treated cells activin enhanced basal FSH release, residual cell content and total FSH content/well (P<0·001). Altering GnRH receptor status also modified the LH response to activin. With control cells activin increased basal release (P<0·001), decreased GnRH-induced release (P<0·001) and increased total LH content/well (P<0·001). With GnRH agonist-treated cells, however, activin had a uniform inhibitory effect on each aspect of LH production examined (P<0·001 in each case). It was concluded that desensitization of ovine gonadotrophs to GnRH by chronic agonist treatment results in a paradoxical enhancement of FSH output in vitro but has little effect on the responsiveness of the cells (in terms of gonadotrophin release and content) to either inhibin or oestradiol. In contrast, GnRH agonist treatment leads to qualitative changes in cellular reponsiveness to activin. Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 140, 483–493


1994 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Fowler ◽  
P Cunningham ◽  
M Fraser ◽  
F MacGregor ◽  
B Byrne ◽  
...  

Abstract A penfusion system based on ovine pituitary tissue explants was used to investigate the effects of follicular fluid (hFF) and serum from superovulated women on pituitary responsiveness to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The specific aims of the study were to determine both if gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF) bioactivity is present in the peripheral circulation as well as in the follicles of superovulated women and if GnSAF suppresses GnRH self-priming in vitro. Two pulses of GnRH, 1 h apart, produced marked peaks in LH secreted from control chambers, with GnRH self-priming evident in the significant difference between the first (134·4±1·7–232·1±24·0% of basal secretion) and second (183·9±15·8–313·9±14·0% of basal secretion) LH peaks. Both follicular fluid and serum pooled from two different groups of women produced marked suppression of the first (unprimed) and second (primed) LH peaks. The hFF reduced the first LH peak to 69·6±7·8 and 60·2±9·7% and the second LH peak to 57·4±6·7 and 42·6±6·5% of control LH secretion. Overall, the serum reduced the first and second LH peaks to 76·8±4·2 and 62·9±3·6% of control respectively. These results demonstrated that GnSAF bioactivity suppresses GnRH self-priming, and is present in both the peripheral circulation and hFF. The same material administered to dispersed ovine pituitary monolayers produced similar marked suppression of GnRH-induced LH secretion, with approximately 50-fold less GnSAF bioactivity in serum compared with hFF. Combined doses of oestradiol and progesterone, or hFF from large follicles containing little GnSAF, produced stimulation of GnRH-induced LH secretion and GnRH self-priming (second peaks 78·1±38·9 and 27·4±15·7% respectively higher than first peaks). Thus, in conclusion, GnSAF in hFF and serum markedly attenuated both unprimed and primed pituitary response to GnRH, virtually abolishing the GnRH self-priming effect. Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 143, 45–54


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