Gonadotrophin-releasing activity of neurohypophysial hormones: II. The pituitary oxytocin receptor mediating gonadotrophin release differs from that of corticotrophs

1989 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Evans ◽  
K. J. Catt
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Concentration ◽  
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Neurohypophysial Hormones ◽  
Gonadotrophin Secretion ◽  
Agonist And Antagonist ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Type Receptor

ABSTRACT Neurohypophysial hormones stimulate gonadotrophin release from dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells in vitro, acting through receptors distinct from those which mediate the secretory response to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The LH response to oxytocin was not affected by the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, methyl isobutylxanthine, but was diminished in the absence of extracellular calcium and was progressively increased as the calcium concentration in the medium was raised to normal. In addition, the calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine, suppressed oxytocin-stimulated secretion of LH. It is likely that the mechanisms of LH release induced by GnRH and neurohypophysial hormones are similar, although stimulation of gonadotrophin secretion is mediated by separate receptor systems. Oxytocin was more active than vasopressin in releasing LH, but less active in releasing ACTH. The highly selective oxytocin agonist, [Thr4,Gly7]oxytocin, elicited concentration-dependent secretion of LH but had little effect on corticotrophin secretion. The neurohypophysial hormone antagonist analogues, [d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)2]-vasopressin, [d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)2,Orn8]vasotocin and [d(CH2)5d-Tyr(Et)2Val4,Cit8]vasopressin, inhibited the LH response to both oxytocin and vasopressin. However, [d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)2]vasopressin was much less effective in inhibiting the ACTH response to the neurohypophysial hormones, and [d(CH2)5Tyr-(Me)2,Orn8]vasotocin and [d(CH2)5d-Tyr(Et)2,Val4, Cit8]vasopressin exhibited no inhibitory activity against ACTH release. Thus, agonist and antagonist analogues of neurophypophysial hormones display divergent activities with regard to LH and ACTH responses, and the neuropeptide receptor mediating gonadotroph activation is clearly different from that on the corticotroph. Whereas the corticotroph receptor is a vasopressin-type receptor an oxytocin-type receptor is responsible for gonadotrophin release by neurohypophysial hormones. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 122, 107–116

scholarly journals Regulation of gonadotrophin secretion by inhibin, testosterone and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone in pituitary cell cultures of male monkeys

1998 ◽  
Vol 159 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
U Fingscheidt ◽  
GF Weinbauer ◽  
HL Fehm ◽  
E Nieschlag
Keyword(s):  
Dose Response ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Basal Secretion ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Gonadotrophin Secretion ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Dose Response Curves ◽  
Male Rhesus

The effects of bovine inhibin, testosterone and GnRH on gonadotrophin secretion by primate pituitary cells were characterized in vitro using pituitaries from six male rhesus monkeys and one male cynomolgus monkey. The effect of inhibin on basal secretion of FSH and LH was investigated. Dose-response curves in monkeys and rats were compared. GnRH dose-response curves in the presence and absence of testosterone were also examined in monkeys. In monkey pituitary cells, testosterone at a concentration of 10(-7) M had no effect on LH or FSH secretion. Inhibin suppressed FSH secretion to 50.8% of that of controls with no effect on LH. In rats, FSH secretion was suppressed to 45.0% of that of controls with a median effective dose (ED50, 95% range) of 1.298 (1.064-1.584) U/ml, compared with 1.024 (0.7204-1.455) U/ml in monkeys. In monkey pituitary cells, LH release was stimulated 9.9-fold and FSH 3.3-fold by GnRH. Testosterone had no effect on basal or GnRH-stimulated gonadotrophin release. These results support the view that the pituitary is not the target organ for the negative feedback action of testosterone in the male. In vitro, inhibin is the major regulator of FSH secretion at the pituitary level.

Effects of crude and highly purified bovine inhibin (Mr 32 000 form) on gonadotrophin production by ovine pituitary cells in vitro: inhibin enhances gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-induced release of LH

1990 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Muttukrishna ◽  
P. G. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Suppressive Effect ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone

ABSTRACT Primary cultures of ovine pituitary cells (from adult ewes) were used to investigate the actions of steroid-free bovine follicular fluid (bFF) and highly-purified Mr 32 000 bovine inhibin on basal and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced release of FSH and LH. Residual cellular contents of each hormone were also determined allowing total gonadotrophin content/well to be calculated. As in rats, both crude and highly purified inhibin preparations promoted a dose (P < 0·001)- and time (P < 0·001)-dependent suppression of basal and GnRH-induced release of FSH as well as an inhibition of FSH synthesis, reflected by a fall in total FSH content/well. However, while neither inhibin preparation affected basal release of LH or total LH content/well, GnRH-induced LH release was significantly (P< 0·001) increased by the presence of either bFF (+ 75%) or highly-purified inhibin (+ 64%) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This unexpected action of bFF on GnRH-induced LH release was abolished in the presence of 5 μl specific anti-inhibin serum, confirming that the response was indeed mediated by inhibin. Furthermore, neither oestradiol-17β (1 pmol/l–10 nmol/l) nor monomeric α-subunit of bovine inhibin (2·5–40 ng/ml) significantly affected basal or GnRH-induced release of LH. These in-vitro findings for the ewe lend support to a number of recent in-vivo observations and indicate that, in addition to its well-documented suppressive effect on the synthesis and secretion of FSH, inhibin may actually facilitate LH release in this species, in marked contrast to its action in the rat. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 127, 149–159

The effect of gonadotrophin surge-inhibiting factor on the self-priming action of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone in female rats in vitro

1992 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Koppenaal ◽  
A. M. I. Tijssen ◽  
J. de Koning
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Priming Effect ◽  
The Self ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Inhibiting Factor ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Functional Antagonism

ABSTRACT The present study was designed to explore further the functional antagonism between gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and the ovarian factor, gonadotrophin surge-inhibiting factor (GnSIF). In all experiments, pituitary tissue was exposed to various amounts of GnSIF, after which the self-priming action of GnRH was studied. GnSIF was increased in vivo by FSH treatment and increased in vitro by adding various amounts of follicular fluid (FF) to cultured pituitary cells. Treatment with 3 or 10 IU FSH suppressed the initial LH response and delayed the maximally primed LH response to GnRH. Treatment with FSH was only effective in intact rats on days 1 and 2 of dioestrus. There was no difference in the rate of maximal LH release irrespective of treatment with either FSH or saline. Since FSH treatment was ineffective in long-term ovariectomized rats, it was concluded that the initial suppressive effect of FSH on LH release was mediated by GnSIF. Cycloheximide prevented the self-priming action of GnRH by inhibiting GnRH-induced protein synthesis. The initial protein synthesis-independent GnRH-stimulated LH release, which was already suppressed by FSH treatment, remained suppressed in the presence of cycloheximide. Pretreatment with GnRH in vivo increased the protein synthesis-independent GnRH-induced LH release during subsequent incubation of the glands. This increase did not occur after FSH treatment. Pituitary cells, cultured for 20 h in medium only, failed to elicit the self-priming effect of GnRH. Preincubation with FF maintained the self-priming effect. This was independent of the concomitant presence of various amounts of oestradiol. Preincubation with bovine FF suppressed the initial GnRH-stimulated LH release dose-dependently. Porcine FF, human FF and testicular extract suppressed the release of LH in a similar way. It was concluded that GnSIF suppresses the initial LH response to continuous GnRH stimulation. Increased levels of GnSIF caused by FSH treatment also delayed the primed LH release. The mechanism of functional antagonism between GnSIF and GnRH could give rise to the occurrence of the phenomenon of GnRH self-priming. Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 134, 427–436

Effects of 31 kDa bovine inhibin on FSH and LH in rat pituitary cells in vitro: antagonism of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists

1988 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Farnworth ◽  
D. M. Robertson ◽  
D. M. de Kretser ◽  
H. G. Burger
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Pretreatment Period ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Constitutive Synthesis ◽  
Rat Pituitary Cells ◽  
Median Effective Concentration

ABSTRACT The effects of 31 kDa bovine inhibin on the release of FSH and LH stimulated by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or its agonist analogue buserelin have been studied using 5-day-old cultures of pituitary cells prepared from adult male Sprague–Dawley rats. Exposure of cultures to increasing concentrations of inhibin for 3 days before and during a 4-h stimulation with GnRH resulted in the progressive suppression of both basal and stimulated gonadotrophin release. At the highest inhibin concentrations FSH release was abolished (inhibin median inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 0·15 U/ml) whereas LH release was suppressed by 75% (IC50 = 0·93 U/ml). To correct for the reduced size of the FSH pool resulting from inhibin pretreatment, the amount of FSH or LH released by an agonist was expressed as a proportion of the total hormone available for release in each case. Following this adjustment, concentrations of inhibin producing maximal effects increased the GnRH median effective concentration for FSH release 4·1-fold and that for LH release 2·2-fold, with inhibin IC50 values of 0·45 and 0·32 U/ml respectively. Inhibin also suppressed the maximum proportion of both FSH and LH that excess GnRH released in 4 h by 36%, with IC50 values of 0·53 and 0·76 U/ml respectively. These effects were not changed by reduction of the inhibin pretreatment period from 3 days to 1 day or by exclusion of inhibin during the stimulation period. After a 3-day pretreatment, inhibin inhibited gonadotrophin release by buserelin less effectively than that by GnRH, but the pattern of antagonism was the same. The results show that purified bovine inhibin antagonizes the release of both FSH and LH stimulated by either GnRH or buserelin in vitro by reducing the apparent potency of GnRH agonists and by decreasing the proportion of total available gonadotrophin that can be released by an excess of GnRH agonist. Higher concentrations of inhibin are required for these common actions against stimulated release of FSH and LH than for the inhibition of FSH tonic synthesis/basal release, indicating one or more secondary sites of inhibin action in addition to its primary selective action to suppress the constitutive synthesis of FSH. J. Endocr. (1988) 119, 233–241

Effect of chronic exposure to a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist on in vitro responsiveness of ovine pituitary cells to inhibin, activin and oestradiol

1994 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Muttukrishna ◽  
P G Knight
Keyword(s):  
Gnrh Agonist ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Cell Content ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Basal Release ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone

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

Kisspeptin/Kiss1r system and angiogenic and immunological mediators at the maternal-fetal interface of domestic cats

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Cardoso Santos ◽  
Jeane Martinha dos Anjos Cordeiro ◽  
Larissa da Silva Santana ◽  
Bianca Reis Santos ◽  
Erikles Macêdo Barbosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Placental Angiogenesis ◽  
Spatiotemporal Expression ◽  
Gene Correlation ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Maternal Fetal Interface

Abstract The Kisspeptin/Kiss1r system is a key regulator of reproduction by stimulating gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) release, and in vitro studies have shown that Kisspeptin can modulate angiogenesis and immune function, factors that are also essential for reproduction However, there are no studies on the expression of Kisspeptin/Kiss1r at the maternal-fetal interface in domestic cats and its relationship with angiogenic and immunological mediators. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the spatiotemporal expression profile of Kisspeptin/Kiss1r and angiogenic and immunological mediators in the uterus and placenta of domestic cats during pregnancy. Uterus and placenta samples were collected from cats in mid pregnancy (N = 6) and late pregnancy (N = 6), in addition to uterus from non-pregnant cats in diestrus (N = 7), to evaluate protein and gene expression of Kiss1, Kiss1r, VEGF, Flk-1, PLGF, INFγ, MIF, TNFα, IL6, and IL10 by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Pregnancy increased the uterine expression of Kiss1 and Kiss1r, especially at the late pregnancy, in addition to upregulating INFy, MIF, Vegf, Il10, and Tnf and downregulating Plgf. Higher placental expression of Kiss1r and Plgf mRNA occurred at the late pregnancy, while the expression of Kiss1, VEGF, Flk-1, INFy, TNFα, Il6, and IL10 was higher in the mid of pregnancy. A positive correlation between Kiss1 and Tnf was observed in the placenta, while Kiss1r had a negative correlation with Infγ, Il6, and Il10. The findings reveal that Kisspeptin/Kiss1r and angiogenic and immunological mediators at the maternal-fetal interface of pregnant cat have a gene correlation and are modulated by the gestational age. These data suggest possible functional links of Kisspeptin in placental angiogenesis and immunology.

Varying the patterns and concentrations of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone stimulation does not alter the ratio of LH and FSH released from perifused sheep pituitary cells

1986 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. A. McIntosh ◽  
R. P. McIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Dose Response ◽  
Dose Interval ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Ovulatory Cycle ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Dissociated Cells ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone

ABSTRACT Our aim was to determine whether release of LH and FSH can be controlled differentially by the characteristics of applied signals of stimulatory gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) alone, free of the effects of steroid feedback or other influences from the whole animal. The outputs of both gonadotrophins were significantly correlated (r≈0·90; P<0·0005) when samples of freshly dispersed sheep pituitary cells were perifused in columns for 7 h with medium containing a range of concentrations of GnRH in various patterns of pulses. Hormone released in response to the second, third and fourth pulses from every column was analysed in detail. Dose–response relationships for both LH and FSH were very similar when cells were stimulated with 5–8500 pmol GnRH/1 in 5-min pulses every hour. When GnRH was delivered in pulses at a maximally stimulating level, the outputs of both hormones increased similarly with increasing inter-pulse intervals. Efficiency of stimulation (release of gonadotrophin/unit stimulatory GnRH) decreased (was desensitized) with increasing pulse duration in the same way for both hormones. Thus, varying the dose, interval and duration of GnRH pulses did not alter the proportions of LH and FSH released in the short-term from freshly dissociated cells. However, the same cell preparations released more LH relative to FSH when treated with maximally stimulating levels of GnRH for 3 h in the presence of 10% serum from a sheep in the follicular phase of its ovulatory cycle compared with charcoal-treated serum. Because there was no gonadotrophin synthesis under the conditions used in vitro these results suggest that changes in the LH/FSH ratio seen in whole animals are more likely to result from differential clearance from the circulation, ovarian feedback at the pituitary, differential synthesis in intact tissue or another hormone influencing FSH secretion, rather than from differences in the mechanism of acute release controlled by GnRH. J. Endocr. (1986) 109, 155–161

Modulatory effect of steroid hormones on GnRH-induced LH secretion by cultured rat pituitary cells

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 963-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela T. Pérez ◽  
Marta E. Apfelbaum
Keyword(s):  
Steroid Hormones ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Stimulatory Action ◽  
Rat Pituitary ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Rat Pituitary Cells ◽  
Lh Secretion

The purpose of the present experiments was to examine the short- and long-term effects of estradiol-17β (E2), progesterone (P), and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), alone and in combination, on the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, using an ovariectomized rat pituitary cells culture model. After 72 h in steroid-free medium, pituitary cells were further cultured for 24 h in medium with or without E2 (1 nM), P (100 nM), or DHT (10 nM). Cultures were then incubated for 5 h in the absence or presence of 1 nM GnRH with or without steroids. LH was measured in the medium and cell extract by radioimmunoassay. The results show that the steroid hormones exert opposite effects on the release of LH induced by GnRH, which seems to be dependent upon the length of time the pituitary cells have been exposed to the steroids. In fact, short-term (5 h) action of E2 resulted in a partial inhibition (64% of control) of LH release in response to GnRH, while long-term (24 h) exposure enhanced (158%) GnRH-induced LH release. Similar results were obtained with DHT, although the magnitude of the effect was lower than with E2. Conversely, P caused an acute stimulatory action (118%) on the LH released in response to GnRH and a slightly inhibitory effect (90%) after chronic treatment. GnRH-stimulated LH biosynthesis was also influenced by steroid treatment. Significant increases in total (cells plus medium) LH were observed in pituitary cells treated with E2 or DHT. While the stimulatory effect of E2 was evident after both acute (133%) and chronic (119%) treatment, that of DHT appears to be exerted mainly after long-term priming (118%). These results suggest that the steroids modulate GnRH-induced LH secretion by acting on both synthesis and release of LH. On the other hand, total hormone content was not affected by P. The acute (5 h) effects of E2, P, and DHT on the GnRH response in E2-primed (24 h) cells during a short-term incubation, were also tested. Addition of P to the pituitary cells primed with E2 led to an acute potentiation of the stimulatory effect of E2 on GnRH-induced LH release and total content. Conversely, the augmentative E2 effect on pituitary responsiveness to GnRH was abolished by DHT. Taken together, these findings suggest that the physiological significance of the stimulatory action of progesterone could be to define the final magnitude of the LH preovulatory surge, while the inhibition by DHT could be required to limit the LH surge to that day of proestrus.Key words: luteinizing hormone, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, steroid hormones, cultured pituitary cells.

In vitro evidence of a role for inhibin in female rabbits

1984 ◽  
Vol 246 (3) ◽  
pp. E243-E248
Author(s):  
A. L. Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Granulosa Cells ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
C Cells ◽  
Rat Pituitary ◽  
Reference Preparation ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Rat Pituitary Cells ◽  
I Cells

To examine a regulatory role for inhibin in female rabbits, an in vitro bioassay for inhibin activity was modified to use cultured rabbit pituitary cells and charcoal-extracted porcine follicular fluid (pFFx) as a reference preparation. pFFx inhibited follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release in a dose-dependent manner in cultures from both intact (I) and castrate (C) does at doses that also inhibited FSH release by cultured rat pituitary cells. Basal FSH release by I cells was inhibited greater than 10% by 0.02% (vol/vol) and greater than 90% by greater than or equal to 0.2% pFFx, whereas in C cells maximal inhibition of FSH release plateaued at only approximately 75%. FSH secretion was restored after removal of pFFx in day 2 media. Luteinizing hormone (LH) release by C cells was not inhibited at any dose of pFFx, but in I cells LH was progressively inhibited to approximately 60% of control levels during day 2 (but not day 1). Charcoal-extracted media (0.25-1%) in which 5 X 10(5) rabbit granulosa cells had been earlier cultured for 72 h produced a parallel inhibition of FSH release. The present findings demonstrate that 1) rabbit pituitary cells are responsive to inhibin, i.e., pFFx preferentially inhibited FSH secretion in a direct, graded, and reversible manner and 2) rabbit follicular granulosa cells secrete an inhibin-like substance.

Ionophore A23187 partially reverses LH secretory defect of pituitary cells from old rats

1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (3) ◽  
pp. E233-E237
Author(s):  
R. S. Chuknyiska ◽  
M. R. Blackman ◽  
G. S. Roth
Keyword(s):  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Extracellular Calcium ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Ionophore A23187 ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Lh Releasing Hormone ◽  
Lh Secretion

We measured in vitro release of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the presence of 1.5 mM extracellular calcium, with and without LH-releasing hormone (LHRH; 10(-10) to 10(-7) M) or the ionophore A23187 (10(-7) to 10(-4) M), in primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells from intact mature (6 mo) and old (24 mo) male and intact and ovariectomized mature and old female Wistar rats. Base-line as well as LHRH- and A23187-mediated LH secretion was decreased from cells of old rats. However, exposure to A23187 led to a nearly twofold greater augmentation of LH release from cells of old rats, thus decreasing the apparent age-related LH secretory deficit by approximately one-half. We then measured LHRH-mediated (10(-8) M) vs. A23187-mediated (10(-4) M) LH release with and without extracellular calcium (0.08-1.5 mM). For cells from both mature and old rats, there was a similar calcium dependency for A23187- and LHRH-mediated LH release, with optimal LH secretion at 1.0-1.5 mM extracellular calcium concentrations. Again, both LHRH- and A23187-stimulated LH release was significantly lower and exposure to A23187 led to a greater increase in LH release from cells of old rats. Taken together with similar findings in other systems, these data suggest that the in vitro LH secretory defect of pituitary cells from old rats results in part from one or more defects in calcium mobilization and that such alterations may be a widespread manifestation of aging.

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