Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone release from rat hypothalamus in vitro
Abstract. The effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on the releases of LH and GnRH were examined in a sequential double chamber perifusion system by perifusing the medio-basal hypothalamus and/or pituitary excised from normal female rats in diestrus or ovariectomized rats. When the medio-basal hypothalamus and pituitary from normal rats in series were perifused with VIP (10−6 mol/l), the concentration of LH in the efflux was increased by 59–181% above that before the injection (P < 0.05), VIP having a dosedependent effect. VIP had no effect on LH release from the pituitary perifused alone. Infusion of VIP at 10−6 mol/l induced a significant release (84–159% increase, P < 0.05) of GnRH from the medio-basal hypothalamus. Infusion of 10−6 mol/l VIP induced a significant release (41–99% increase, P < 0.05) of LH in ovariectomized rats. These findings suggest that VIP induces GnRH release from the medio-basal hypothalamus, resulting in LH release from the pituitary, and that this process does not require ovarian estrogen.