Gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor attenuates in-vitro LH secretion induced by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone from cultured ovine pituitary cells only during the breeding season

1992 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Fowler ◽  
C. Townsend ◽  
I. E. Messinis ◽  
P. Cunningham ◽  
A. Templeton

ABSTRACT Primary cultures of ovine pituitaries from adult ewes were used to investigate aspects of gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF) bioactivity in human follicular fluid (hFF) from superovulated women. During the autumn and first half of the winter, LH secretion induced by gonadotrophinreleasing hormone (GnRH) was markedly reduced (43·5 ± 5·2% of control GnRH-induced LH secretion) by incubation for 48 h with steroid-free hFF. For the rest of the year, treatment with the same batch of steroid-free hFF resulted in non-significant reduction or stimulation of GnRH-induced LH secretion (71·3± 13·2 to 117·8±11·2% of control GnRH-induced LH secretion). Incubation of pituitary cells for 48 h with oestradiol (1 pmol/l to 1 μmol/l), progesterone (1 pmol/l to 1 μmol/l) or oestradiol and progesterone combined (1 pmol/l to 1 μmol/l) in a two-way titration for 48 h had no significant effect on GnRH-induced LH secretion (83·4±7·6 to 110·6±5·0% of control secretion). Separating hFF into fractions of different molecular mass by ultrafiltration demonstrated that GnSAF bioactivity was present in a form 10–30 kDa in size. Incubation for 48 h with these fractions had no significant effect on basal FSH secretion but significantly attenuated GnRH-induced LH secretion during the autumn. The same fractions had little effect on GnRH-induced LH secretion from pituitary cells collected during the summer. We conclude that ovine pituitaries display at least partial reduction in sensitivity to GnSAF outside the breeding season. In addition, neither oestradiol nor progesterone singly or in combination caused the observed attenuation of GnRH-induced LH secretion that is ascribed to GnSAF bioactivity. Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 135, 221–227

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


Reproduction ◽  
2003 ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
PA Fowler ◽  
NP Groome ◽  
KH Al-Gubory

The decline in pulsatile LH secretion and pituitary responsiveness to GnRH as pregnancy advances may be due to non-steroidal factors secreted by the ovine corpus luteum of pregnancy. Corpora lutea from ten ewes on days 70-80 of gestation were homogenized, charcoal-treated and, together with charcoal-treated follicular fluid from superovulated women, were subjected to inhibin immunoaffinity chromatography, reducing dimeric inhibin A and B by >90% and abolishing inhibin bioactivity. These preparations were investigated using cultures of rat pituitary cells. GnRH-induced LH and FSH secretion in vitro was reduced by ovine corpus luteum extract and human follicular fluid by 47+/-5% and 42+/-5% of control LH and by 37+/-5% and 50+/-10% of control FSH, respectively (P<0.001). Extracts prepared from corpora lutea and placentae that were collected on days 50, 90 and 120 of pregnancy (five ewes per stage of pregnancy) showed increased GnRH-induced LH-suppressing bioactivity, particularly in the case of the placental extracts, with a threefold increase in activity. When partially purified by pseudochromatofocusing, GnRH-induced LH-suppressing bioactivity in extracts of ovine corpora lutea was identified at pH 5.40 and 5.77. Although these values are similar to published gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF) bioactivity pI values, a GnSAF-blocking antiserum had no consistent effect on ovine corpus luteum extract GnRH-induced LH-suppressing bioactivity. It was concluded that the ovine corpus luteum of pregnancy contains a non-steroidal, non-inhibin factor, probably not GnSAF, that has the ability to reduce pituitary responsiveness to GnRH in vitro.


1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (3) ◽  
pp. E233-E237
Author(s):  
R. S. Chuknyiska ◽  
M. R. Blackman ◽  
G. S. Roth

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.


1990 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Muttukrishna ◽  
P. G. Knight

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


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Siawrys ◽  
A. Gajewska

Abstract Leptin modulates reproductive activity but its potential influence on LH secretion from anterior pituitary (AP) cells during implantation period in pigs (days 14-16 of pregnancy) remained unexplored. This study focused on determination whether leptin affects basal and GnRH-induced LH secretion and intracellular accumulation and whether leptin receptor (OB-Rb) mRNA is expressed in the AP gland during implantation in pigs. Four individual AP glands were developed into separate primary cultures. 2×105 cells/ml were preincubated (72 h) and next, for 3.5 h, experimentally treated with GnRH (100 ng/ml), leptin (10-11, 10-9, 10-7, 10-6 M) alone, or given in respective combinations with GnRH. In the AP gland, OB-Rb mRNA expression was determined by real-time PCR method. Leptin activated LH secretion and its concentration-dependent effect was observed as stimulation shown in a full range tested (culture 1) and exhibited only at 10-6 M (culture 2). A pooled data analysis revealed that basal LH secretion increased at 10-9, 10-7 and 10-6 M, but GnRH-induced LH release decreased at 10-6 M. Leptin down-regulated GnRH-induced LH secretion in all cultures, but only culture 3 exhibited sensitivity for all concentrations tested. Basal LH accumulation was activated in culture 1 (at 10-11 M) and inhibited in culture 4 (at 10-9 M). In the presence of GnRH leptin up-regulated LH accumulation with individual culture leptin-sensitivity (culture 1-3), while down-regulated LH accumulation in culture 4. Obtained data indicate that OB-Rb mRNA is expressed in the AP gland and leptin alone and in combination with GnRH specifically modulates LH activity during early pregnancy in pigs.


Zygote ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
H. Debbarh ◽  
N. Louanjli ◽  
S. Aboulmaouahib ◽  
M. Jamil ◽  
L. Ahbbas ◽  
...  

Summary Maternal age is a significant factor influencing in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the major causes of age-related cellular and molecular damage. The purpose of this work was to investigate the correlation between maternal age with intrafollicular antioxidants and OS markers in follicular fluid (FF), and also to determine the OS status in patients of advanced age. This study was a prospective study including 201 women undergoing IVF whose age was between 24 and 45 years old. FF samples were obtained from mature follicles at the time of oocyte retrieval. After treatment of FF, lipid peroxidation levels (MDA) and enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione (GSH) level were evaluated using spectrophotometry. The results indicated that the age cutoff point for increasing the MDA level was fixed at 37 years, allowing the study to be differentiated into two age groups. Group I included patients whose age was less than 37 years, and group II included patients whose age was greater than or equal 37 years. Statistical analysis revealed that MDA and GSH levels and GR activity were significantly higher in group II compared with group I. The SOD and CAT activities were significantly less in group II compared with group I. We concluded that from 37 years old a reproductive ageing was accompanied by a change in the antioxidant pattern in FF that impaired reactive oxygen species scavenging efficiency.


1986 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. A. McIntosh ◽  
R. P. McIntosh

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


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 963-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela T. Pérez ◽  
Marta E. Apfelbaum

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.


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