Influence of melatonin and oestradiol on the opioidergic regulation of LH and prolactin release in pony mares

1997 ◽  
Vol 154 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Aurich ◽  
J Lange ◽  
H-O Hoppen ◽  
J E Aurich
Keyword(s):  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
Opioid Antagonist ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Melatonin Treatment ◽  
Prolactin Release ◽  
Oestradiol Treatment ◽  
Oestradiol Benzoate ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Lh Secretion

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of oestradiol, melatonin and season on the opioid regulation of LH and prolactin release. Effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone (0·5 mg/kg) on LH and prolactin secretion were determined in ovariectomized pony mares. In experiment 1, mares in January (n=6) were pretreated with oestradiol benzoate (5 μg/kg) for 20 days. In experiment 2, beginning in May, mares (n=7) received melatonin (15 mg) for 15 days and subsequently a combination of melatonin plus oestradiol for 20 days. In experiment 3, beginning in May, mares (n=6) were pretreated with oestradiol for 30 days, left untreated for 12 days and then given melatonin for 35 days. In all experiments the animals were injected with the opioid antagonist naloxone and saline on 2 consecutive days prior to treatment. In experiment 1, animals received naloxone and saline on days 10 and 11 and 20 and 21 following oestradiol treatment. In experiment 2, naloxone and saline were administered on days 15 and 16 following melatonin treatment and on days 10 and 11 and 20 and 21 of melatonin plus oestradiol treatment. In experiment 3, the animals received naloxone and saline on days 10 and 11, 20 and 21 and 30 and 31 of oestradiol treatment, prior to melatonin treatment and on days 15 and 16, 25 and 26 and 35 and 36 following melatonin. In January (experiment 1), naloxone evoked a significant (P<0·05) LH release at all times, however the LH increment in response to naloxone increased during oestradiol pretreatment (P<0·05) During the breeding season (experiments 2 and 3), naloxone induced a significant (P<0·05) increase in plasma LH concentrations when mares had not been pretreated with oestradiol or melatonin and after oestradiol pretreatment. Basal LH concentrations and the LH increment in response to naloxone increased significantly (P<0·05) during the 30-day oestradiol pretreatment. Melatonin decreased the naloxone-induced LH release and the LH release in response to naloxone and saline no longer differed after 25 and 35 days of melatonin pretreatment. When melatonin was given together with oestradiol for 20 days, again a significant (P<0·05) LH release in response to naloxone occurred. Prolactin release was significantly (P<0·05) increased by naloxone when mares had been pretreated with only melatonin. The opioid antagonist did not affect prolactin release in mares that had not been pretreated or received oestradiol either alone or in combination with melatonin. In conclusion, in long-term ovariectomized mares, opioids inhibit LH secretion independent from ovarian factors. This opioid inhibition of LH secretion is enhanced by oestradiol and reduced by melatonin. Although short-term melatonin treatment in-activates the opioid regulation of LH release, a prolonged influence of melatonin as occurs in winter does not prevent activation of the opioid system. This indicates that effects of melatonin on the opioid regulation of LH release change with time. An opioid inhibition of prolactin secretion is activated by melatonin given for 15–35 days but is lost under the prolonged influence of a short-day melatonin signal in winter. Journal of Endocrinology (1997) 154, 241–248

Effects of gonadal steroids on the opioid regulation of LH and prolactin release in ovariectomized pony mares

1995 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Aurich ◽  
P F Daels ◽  
B A Ball ◽  
J E Aurich
Keyword(s):  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
Gonadal Steroids ◽  
Opioid Antagonist ◽  
Regulatory Pathway ◽  
Prolactin Release ◽  
Oestradiol Benzoate ◽  
Significant Release ◽  
Lh Secretion ◽  
Opioid Systems

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of ovarian steroids in the opioid regulation of LH and prolactin release in mares. Effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone on LH and prolactin secretion were determined in ovariectomized pony mares. The animals were pretreated with either progesterone (500 μg kg−1) or oestradiol benzoate (10 μg kg−1) for 8 days and subsequently with a combination of progesterone and oestradiol for an additional 8 days. Naloxone administration (0·5 mg kg−1 i.v.) resulted in a significant release of LH as well as prolactin in mares after pretreatment with either oestradiol benzoate or progesterone plus oestradiol benzoate (P<0·05). No significant changes in LH and prolactin secretion were detected in progesterone-treated and non-steroid-treated ovariectomized mares. These results indicate that a prolonged oestrogen influence activates the opioid inhibition of LH and prolactin release in mares. In contrast to other species, progesterone alone does not activate a tonic opioid inhibition of LH and prolactin secretion, but modulates the effect of oestrogens. The opioid systems therefore seem to be regulated by a sequence of different steroid environments, as found during the oestrous cycle. The parallel increases in prolactin and LH secretion in mares may indicate a common regulatory pathway for these two hormones. Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 147, 195–202

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.

The inhibitory effect of opiates on gonadotrophin secretion is dependent upon gonadal steroids

1984 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bhanot ◽  
M. Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Negative Feedback ◽  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
Gonadal Steroids ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
Endogenous Opiates ◽  
Gonadotrophin Secretion ◽  
Oestradiol Benzoate ◽  
Lh Secretion

ABSTRACT We have attempted to clarify the physiological involvement of endogenous opiates in the steroid-mediated control of gonadotrophin release. Our studies showed that there was an acute reduction in the inhibitory effects of endogenous opiates on LH and FSH release following gonadectomy in the rat. This was indicated by a significant reduction in the ability of naloxone to stimulate serum LH/FSH levels (sampled at 15 min) in 26-day-old female rats 48 h after ovariectomy. Luteinizing hormone was highly sensitive to the inhibitory effects of the synthetic met-enkephalin analogue, FK 33-824, at this time (sampled at 90 min). An unexpected observation was that long-term absence of gonadal steroids also disrupted the ability of exogenous opiates, FK 33-824 and morphine, to influence LH release. This was seen as an inability of FK 33-824 (1·0 or 3·0 mg/kg) to inhibit LH secretion. The effects of gonadectomy on opiate control of LH occurred at all developmental stages and were not due to a disruption of sexual maturation. Opiate involvement in prolactin secretion did not appear to be adversely affected by an absence of gonadal steroids. Another novel aspect of this work was that the opiatergic component in the control of gonadotrophin secretion could be reinstated in long-term gonadectomized rats by treatment with oestradiol benzoate or testosterone propionate. Similarly, priming with increasing dosages of oestradiol benzoate which resulted in progressively lower LH levels gave larger naloxone responses. This steroid–opiate interdependency suggests that the negative feedback influence of gonadal steroids on LH secretion is conveyed, in part, by hypothalamic opiate peptides. Our results therefore provide a neurochemical basis for gonadal steroid negative feedback. J. Endocr. (1984) 102, 133–141

Effects of long- and short-term gonadectomy on the hypothalamo-hypophysial (LH-releasing hormone–LH) system in oestrogen-treated male and female rats

1986 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. G. Weiland ◽  
C. A. Barraclough ◽  
K. J. Catt
Keyword(s):  
Female Rats ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Oestradiol Treatment ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Serum Lh ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Lh Releasing Hormone

ABSTRACT Considerable differences have previously been found in the hypothalamo-hypophysial responsiveness to oestrogen, depending upon the time between gonad removal and exposure to oestrogen. In the present study a detailed analysis was made of some of the differences which may exist in pituitary LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) receptors and the amount of LH released in response to electrochemical depolarization of the medial preoptic area after 2 or 7 days of oestradiol treatment of long- and short-term gonadectomized male and female rats. The pituitary glands of long-term gonadectomized males and females secreted more LH in response to two pulse injections of LHRH than did short-term gonadectomized rats. The amount of LH released on day 2, however, was equivalent to that secreted after 7 days of oestradiol treatment. Moreover, long-term gonadectomized males and females had equivalent LHRH receptor concentrations, which were greater than those of short-term gonadectomized animals. Peak serum LH concentrations observed after preoptic stimulation were equivalent in short- and long-term castrated rats after 2 days of oestrogen exposure. Serum LH concentrations following preoptic stimulation in short-term gonadectomized males and females were significantly greater on day 7 than on day 2 of oestradiol treatment, whereas in long-term gonadectomized animals the stimulated release of LH was equivalent both in magnitude and time of peak release on both days. These studies demonstrate that the differential effects of oestradiol on LH release on day 2 (no negative feedback) compared with day 7 (both negative and positive feedback exist) are not due to differences in the ability of the pituitary gland to release LH in response to LHRH, nor in the releasable pools of hypothalamic LHRH in long-term gonadectomized rats. Rather, they seem to be due to a refractoriness in some unidentified central nervous process which regulates tonic LH release in gonadectomized rats. J. Endocr. (1986) 110, 367–373

Antioestrogen inhibition of oestradiol-induced alterations in hypothalamic noradrenaline turnover

1985 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hiemke ◽  
B. Poetz ◽  
R. Ghraf
Keyword(s):  
Brain Area ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Ovariectomized Rats ◽  
Noradrenaline Turnover ◽  
Stimulatory Action ◽  
Enhanced Sensitivity ◽  
Oestradiol Benzoate ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Secretory System

ABSTRACT Long-term (4–6 weeks) ovariectomized rats were injected with either oestradiol benzoate (OB; 20 μg s.c.) or monohydroxytamoxifen (MTAM; 0·2 mg i.p.) plus OB. Oestradiol benzoate was administered at 12.00 h on day 0 and MTAM was given immediately before OB, followed by further injections twice daily to maintain sufficiently high antioestrogen levels. When given alone, OB reduced the serum levels of LH during the morning (08.00–09.00 h) and afternoon (17.30–18.30 h) hours of day 3 after priming. The feedback actions of OB on LH release were accompanied by time-dependent alterations of noradrenaline turnover in the preoptic–anterior hypothalamic brain area (POAH). On day 3 after priming the noradrenaline turnover rate was reduced in the morning and increased in the afternoon. The increase correlated with an enhanced sensitivity of the LH secretory system to progesterone. The antioestrogen MTAM blocked the OB-induced sensitization of LH release to the stimulatory action of progesterone and interfered with the stimulatory long-term effect of oestradiol on hypothalamic noradrenaline turnover. The data strongly support the view that the oestrogen-induced afternoon increase of noradrenaline turnover in the POAH represents a pre-requisite for the induction of LH surges. The stimulatory effect of oestradiol on hypothalamic noradrenaline turnover seems to be mediated by a classical oestrogen receptor mechanism. J. Endocr. (1985) 106, 37–42

scholarly journals Changes in prolactin secretion in the short- and long-term after adrenalectomy

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Thereza C. Laguna-Abreu ◽  
Carla Germano ◽  
Ayrton C. Moreira ◽  
José Antunes-Rodrigues ◽  
Lucila Elias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
Plasma Prolactin ◽  
Peptidergic Neurons ◽  
Prolactin Release ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis ◽  
Pituitary Adrenal Axis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the modulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) on prolactin secretion in rats after adrenalectomy (ADX). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma corticosterone, ACTH, and prolactin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in rats after bilateral ADX in the short- (3 hours and 1day) and long-term (3, 7, and 14 days). RESULTS: Animals that underwent ADX showed undetectable corticosterone levels and a triphasic ACTH response with a transient increase (3h), a decrease (1d), and further increase in the long-term after ADX. Sham animals showed a marked increase in corticosterone and ACTH levels three hours after surgery, with a decrease to basal levels thereafter. Plasma prolactin levels were not changed after ADX. CONCLUSION: There are different points of equilibrium in the HPA axis after the glucocorticoid negative feedback is removed. Prolactin plasma secretion is not altered in the short or long- term after ADX, suggesting that the peptidergic neurons essential for prolactin release are not activated after ADX.

Cyclophenil, a non-steroidal compound with a higher central than peripheral oestrogenic activity: study of its effects on uterine growth and on some central parameters in castrated female rats

1984 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Celotti ◽  
N. Avogadri ◽  
R. C. Melcangi ◽  
S. Milani ◽  
P. Negri-Cesi
Keyword(s):  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
The Other ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Reliable Estimate ◽  
Growth Test ◽  
Oestradiol Benzoate ◽  
Enzymatic Systems ◽  
Uterine Growth ◽  
Steroidal Compound

Abstract. The oestrogenic activity of cyclophenil, a non-steroidal compound which has structural analogies with both stilbene and triphenylethylene, has been reevaluated utilizing both central and peripheral parameters. The central parameters considered were LH, FSH, prolactin secretion and two enzymatic systems known to be oestrogen-sensitive: hypophyseal 5α-reductase and hypothalamic aromatase. The uterine growth test was used to determine oestrogenic peripheral activity. The compound was administered at various doses in comparison with oestradiol benzoate (EB) to long-term castrated female rats. Cyclophenil has an activity 1/8110 times that of EB on uterine growth, and 1/1660 and 1/550 times that of EB in inhibiting LH and FSH. respectively. The hypophyseal 5α-reductase(expressed as DHT formation) was inhibited 1710 times less by cyclophenil than by EB. The other parameters considered were unsuitable to provide a statistically reliable estimate of the potency ratios between the two compounds. The data show that cyclophenil is an oestrogenic compound with peculiar characteristics. This substance is more effective in expressing its oestrogenic activity in central structures than in the peripheral ones.

Adrenal progesterone facilitates the negative feedback of oestrogen on LH release in ovariectomized rats

1993 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Salicioni ◽  
R. W. Carón ◽  
R. P. Deis
Keyword(s):  
Ovariectomized Rats ◽  
Adrenal Steroids ◽  
Serum Progesterone ◽  
Oestrogen Treatment ◽  
Ovx Rats ◽  
Serum Lh ◽  
Oestradiol Benzoate ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Lh Secretion

ABSTRACT There is evidence that the adrenals play a role in the regulation of the synthesis and release of gonadotrophins in various vertebrates. The aim of this study was to determine the part played by adrenal steroids, with special reference to progesterone, on the concentration of LH in ovariectomized (OVX) and oestrogen-primed rats. OVX rats received a single s.c. injection of vehicle or oestradiol benzoate (OB, 20 μg/rat). This day was designated as day 0. Three or four days later (day 3–day 4), the rats were treated with mifepristone (10 mg/kg) or with two doses of progesterone antiserum and blood samples were obtained at 13.00 and 18.00 h. OB treatment of OVX rats reduced serum LH at 13.00 h and 18.00 h on day 3 but only at 13.00 h on day 4. The administration of mifepristone at 08.00 h to OVX and oestrogen-treated rats induced a significant increase in serum LH at 18.00 h on days 3 and 4, without modifying the values at 13.00 h. When mifepristone was given at 13.00 h a much larger increase in serum LH was obtained at 18.00 h. In OVX and oestrogen-treated rats, adrenalectomy on day 2 (08.00–09.00 h) induced an increase in serum LH at 18.00 h similar to that observed in the OVX and oestrogen-primed rats after mifepristone treatment. In order to determine the specificity of the effect of mifepristone, a group of OVX and oestrogentreated rats was injected with progesterone antiserum at 08.00 and 13.00 h on day 3. Serum LH concentrations at 13.00 and 18.00 h on day 3 were similar to values obtained in OVX rats treated with oestrogen and mifepristone. Serum progesterone was measured at 08.00 and 13.00 h in OVX and OVX and oestrogenprimed rats. At both times, values were similar in OVX rats but oestrogen treatment significantly increased serum progesterone levels. The important role of adrenal progesterone on the regulation of LH secretion in OVX and oestrogen-primed rats is evident from these results. Blocking progesterone action at the receptor level, we showed that OB significantly increased LH values at 18.00 h. On the basis of these studies it is tempting to speculate on the possibility of an inhibitory or stimulatory effect of oestrogen on serum LH concentration in OVX rats, according to the presence or absence of adrenal progesterone action. Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 139, 253–258

Development and amplification of mid-afternoon surges of prolactin secretion in ovariectomized immature rats

1986 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. Urbanski ◽  
S. R. Ojeda
Keyword(s):  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
Ovariectomized Rats ◽  
Female Rat ◽  
Plasma Prolactin ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Small Magnitude ◽  
Neuroendocrine Mechanisms ◽  
Phases Of Development ◽  
Juvenile Development

ABSTRACT The immature female rat shows a mid-afternoon surge of prolactin secretion which reaches a maximum on the day of first pro-oestrus. The present experiments were undertaken to elucidate the mechanisms which underly the development of this prolactin discharge. Detailed plasma prolactin profiles were obtained from short-term (48 h) ovariectomized rats at 23, 28 or 37 days of age. In the two older groups, but not the youngest, a mid-afternoon surge of prolactin secretion occurred in spite of the absence of the ovaries. To exclude the possibility that such an apparent ovarian-independent discharge of prolactin was due to an oestradiol effect which persisted for 2 days following ovariectomy, another study was conducted using long-term ovariectomized animals. Plasma profiles were obtained from neonatally ovariectomized rats at ages equivalent to juvenile (26–28 days), peripubertal (38–41 days) or adult (46–49 days) phases of development. A mid-afternoon surge of prolactin secretion was observed in the majority of animals (eight out of twelve) irrespective of the interval after ovariectomy; this finding further indicates that in the female rat there is a centrally originated mid-afternoon episode of prolactin secretion which is expressed during juvenile development even in the absence of the ovaries. The relatively small magnitude of these ovarian-independent prolactin discharges (c.f. the preovulatory prolactin surge) suggested that in the intact animal they are amplified by ovarian secretions. To test this hypothesis, oestradiol-containing silicone elastomer capsules were implanted s.c. into juvenile rats, immediately after ovariectomy, and plasma prolactin profiles examined 2 days later (28 days of age). In all cases the prolactin surge was greatly amplified and in many instances the magnitude was identical to that observed at first pro-oestrus. These data suggest that development of the large pro-oestrous surge of prolactin secretion involves the interplay of at least two distinct neuroendocrine mechanisms: (1) a centrally originated ovarian-independent signal and (2) an amplification effect exerted by ovarian oestradiol. J. Endocr. (1986) 110, 361–366

Comparison of the LH secretion patterns in the male rat following infusion of LRH and of the LRH-analogue buserelin®. Influence of castration and oestradiol benzoate on the efficiency of LH release

1983 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Schuiling ◽  
N. Pols-Valkhof ◽  
T. R. Koiter
Keyword(s):  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Male Rat ◽  
Potency Ratio ◽  
Maximal Height ◽  
Oestradiol Benzoate ◽  
Lh Release ◽  
Buserelin Treatment ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Lh Secretion

Abstract. The LH releasing activities of LRH and the LRH-analogue buserelin® (HOE 766; (D-Ser (But)6-LRH(1–9)nona peptide-ethylamide) were compared in intact and short- and long-term castrated male rats, pre-treated (either 1 or 3 days) with oestradiol benzoate (EB) or oil. LRH and buserelin were infused iv at the constant rate of 104 ng/h for 21 h. Blood samples were taken from an intracarotid cannula. LH responses were judged on the basis of the mean maximal height of the LH concentration (MH; ng LH/ml plasma) and a parameter of total LH release, i.e. the area under the curve of LH concentrations plotted against time ('area under the curve', AUC; expressed in 'area units'). The release efficiency of LRH and buserelin, E (see for a definition: Materials and Methods), which informs on the total quantity of LH released in relation to pituitary LH content, was calculated by dividing the AUC × 100 by the pituitary LH content at the beginning of stimulation. Maximal plasma LH concentrations were observed between t= 1.5 and t=3 h after LRH and between t= 1.5 and t=9 after buserelin treatment. Both with LRH and buserelin the rise of LH secretion was greater the longer the animals were castrated and/or pre-treated with EB. The buserelin-induced LH response (with the exception of the responses induced in the EB-pre-treated, 4-weeks castrated rat) were about 2–2.5 times higher (MH) and larger (AUC) than the corresponding LRH-induced responses. The buserelin/LRH potency ratio, therefore, is about 2–2.5. EB-pre-treatment did not change the pituitary LH content. It therefore enhanced the efficiency of release of LH of both LRH and buserelin. Castration, on the other hand, caused an increase of the pituitary LH content: after 4 weeks it was raised by a factor 4. Since, however, the LH responses induced by LRH and buserelin were proportionally higher and larger, castration did not significantly change the efficiency of LH release. The results indicate that the efficiency of LH release can be changed by changes in the endocrine environment in the experimental animals, whilst for the magnitude of LH responses the pituitary LH content is also important. It is therefore suggested that the responsiveness of the pituitary gland to LRH (and agonistic analogues) is determined by (1) the state of the LH secretion mechanism and (2) the pituitary LH content.

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