Pituitary Follicle-Stimulating Hormone in Immature Female Rats Treated with Drugs that Inhibit the Synthesis or Antagonise the Actions of Catecholamines and 5-Hydroxytryptamine

1971 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.S. Brown
1971 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 679-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. COLLU ◽  
F. FRASCHINI ◽  
L. MARTINI

SUMMARY Melatonin and 5-methoxytryptophol, the two methoxyindoles of pineal origin, were injected into a lateral ventricle of the brain of immature female rats. Treatment was started on the 25th day of age and terminated when the vagina opened. The injection of both methoxyindoles resulted in a statistically significant delay in vaginal opening. Since previous experiments had shown that melatonin specifically inhibits secretion of luteinizing hormone and that 5-methoxytryptophol specifically blocks release of follicle-stimulating hormone, the present results support the hypothesis that the onset of sexual maturation needs a balanced secretion of both gonadotrophins.


1969 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Robyn ◽  
P. Petrusz ◽  
E. Diczfalusy

ABSTRACT The follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-like activity of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) preparations was assayed by the method based on the ovarian weight augmentation in intact immature rats. The potencies ranged from 4.8 to 7.4 IU equivalents of FSH per mg. The FSH-like potency of the Second International Standard Preparation of HCG was 8.5 IU per vial. However, when in intact immature rats the ovarian weight response to HCG preparations was compared at a wide range of doses (40 to 51 200 IU) to that obtained with a human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) preparation (0.5 to 128 IU of FSH) in the presence of 40 IU of HCG, significant differences were found. The assays conducted in hypophysectomised immature female rats were invalid, because of lack of parallelism. Antisera were prepared by immunising rabbits with HCG and human hypophysial gonadotrophin (HHG) preparations and the antigonadotrophin profiles (HCG-, FSH- and FSH-like neutralising potencies) of these antisera were established by the use of statistically valid bioassay procedures. The anti-HCG and anti-HHG sera neutralised the FSH activity of HMG preparations as well as the FSH-like activity of HCG preparations. However, 3 to 175 times more antiserum was required to neutralise the equivalent of 1.0 IU of FSH-like activity present in HCG than expected on the basis of the anti-FSH potency of the antisera. On the other hand, there was a high degree of correlation between the neutralising potencies of the antisera when tested against the FSH-like activity and the HCG activity of various HCG preparations. When the FSH-like activity of an HCG preparation was quantitatively neutralised with an anti-HCG serum, some 30 per cent of the HCG activity remained unneutralised, as evidenced by repeated bioassays. Although at least 2000 IU of this »FSH-free« HCG was administered to groups of intact as well as hypophysectomised immature female rats, this high dose of HCG did not induce an increase in ovarian weight beyond that elicited by 40 IU of untreated HCG. Histological examination of the ovaries indicated lack of follicle stimulation in the hypophysectomised, but not in the intact immature animals. There was an excessive stimulation of the interstitial cells in both types of animals. The data indicate that the FSH-like activity of HCG preparations is neither due to a contamination by FSH of pituitary origin, nor is it an evenly distributed intrinsic property of the HCG molecules. It is also concluded that the gonadotrophic activity of biologically pure HCG in immature hypophysectomised female rats consists of a specific stimulation of the interstitial cell apparatus. Such HCG preparations do not induce any follicle stimulation, not even when administered in excessive doses.


1969 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. NAQVI ◽  
D. C. JOHNSON

SUMMARY An increase in ovarian weight in immature rats after the injection of chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) was used to measure variations in endogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) after steroid treatment. A single injection of several steroids (testosterone, androstenediol, androstenedione, oestradiol benzoate) given 12–96 hr. before treatment with HCG caused a 30–200% increase in ovarian weight. This was not a direct effect of the steroids since hypophysectomy abolished the response, and administration of the compounds concurrently with HCG was ineffective. Within certain limits an increase in the duration of pretreatment enhanced the ovarian response while an increase in the dose of steroid had little effect. Pretreatment with testosterone propionate did not change pituitary FSH activity, indicating that the increase in circulating FSH was due to an increased production of hormone. On the other hand, pituitary FSH in animals treated with oestradiol benzoate was significantly lowered within 72 hr. suggesting an increased release of FSH.


1972 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. A. MEIJS-ROELOFS

SUMMARY Electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus with biphasic pulses was performed in immature female rats. When performed at 27 days of age or later, electrical stimulation in the arcuate nucleus region advanced puberty in all animals, as did stimulation of the anterior hypothalamus at 29 days of age or later. Stimulation in younger rats did not uniformly advance puberty. The responsiveness to electrical stimulation thus seems to develop a few days earlier in the arcuate nucleus region than in the anterior hypothalamus. In a second experiment the possible involvement of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the advancement of puberty was investigated: the simplified augmented ovarian weight assay for endogenous FSH was performed in rats stimulated in the arcuate nucleus region as well as in controls. A marked increase in ovarian weight, indicating increased FSH levels, was demonstrated in all animals stimulated on day 27 or later; at earlier ages only a percentage of the stimulated animals responded. This percentage paralleled the percentage of animals that showed advancement of puberty. It is concluded that electrical stimulation in both the arcuate nucleus region and the anterior hypothalamus advances the onset of puberty. It is suggested that electrical stimulation causes increased plasma FSH levels and, in consequence, precocious puberty.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10769
Author(s):  
Chao-Chin Hsu ◽  
Leonard Hsu ◽  
Yuan-Shuo Hsueh ◽  
Chih-Ying Lin ◽  
Hui Hua Chang ◽  
...  

The uterine first-pass effect occurs when drugs are delivered vaginally. However, the effect of vaginally administered recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rhFSH) on ovarian folliculogenesis and endometrial receptivity is not well established. We aimed to compare the efficacy of rhFSH administered vaginally and abdominally in clinical in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, pharmacokinetic study, and animal study. In IVF treatment, the number of oocytes retrieved, endometrial thickness and uterine artery blood perfusion were not different between women who received the rhFSH either vaginally or abdominally. For serum pharmacokinetic parameters, significantly lower Tmax, clearance, and higher AUC and T1/2_elimination of rhFSH were observed in women who received rhFSH vaginally, but urine parameters were not different. Immature female rats that received daily abdominal or vaginal injections (1 IU twice daily for 4 days) or intermittent vaginal injections (4 IU every other day for two doses) of rhFSH had more total follicles than the control group. In addition, the serum progesterone and progesterone receptors in the local endometrium were significantly higher in the groups treated with intermittent abdominal or vaginal injection of rhFSH, compared with those who recieved daily injection. In summary, vaginal administration of rhFSH may provide an alternative treatment regimen in women receiving IVF.


1973 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. A. MEIJS-ROELOFS ◽  
J. Th. J. UILENBROEK ◽  
F. H. de JONG ◽  
R. WELSCHEN

SUMMARY Oestradiol-17β (E2) was measured by radioimmunoassay in the plasma of immature female rats. Maximal E2 levels of 55–60 pg/ml were found at 10–15 days of age; from day 25 to day 35 E2 levels were low to undetectable. The E2 measured appeared to be of ovarian origin: ovariectomy performed on day 13 resulted in a decreased E2 level 2 days later (13 pg/ml) as compared with the value from the control litter mates (46 pg/ml); after adrenalectomy the level of circulating E2 remained normal (54 pg/ml). The effects of ovariectomy and adrenalectomy on uterine weights followed a similar pattern: ovariectomy resulted in a decrease and adrenalectomy in no change in uterine weight. In the strain of rat used, levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the serum (measured by radioimmunoassay) were high from day 10 to day 20 and showed a steep decrease on day 21. After ovariectomy on day 15 this decrease in serum FSH was not observed. The influence of circulating E2 on serum levels of FSH was studied after ovariectomy followed by treatment with varying doses of oestradiol benzoate. Ovariectomy on day 13 resulted in a significantly increased FSH level 2 days later (1770 ng NIAMD-rat-FSH RP-1/ml) as compared with the value obtained from control animals (1033 ng/ml). This increase was not observed after daily injections of 0·1 μg oestradiol benzoate/100 g body weight. The results indicate that E2 and FSH concentrations show a similar pattern between 5 and 35 days of age. Furthermore, an inhibitory feedback mechanism between oestrogens and FSH concentrations was found to be operative. The implications of these findings are discussed.


1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 768-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Ibrahim ◽  
B. E. Howland

The concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in serum and pituitary glands was studied in intact female rats and rats that were ovariectomized on day 0 of the experiment and then starved or fed for 2, 4, 7, or 9 days. Ovariectomy resulted in enhanced rates of synthesis and release of FSH and LH as indicated by the significant (P < 0.01) rises in the concentration of both hormones in the pituitary gland and serum.Starvation resulted in a decrease in body and pituitary weight. The concentration of FSH and LH in pituitary glands of starved rats was higher (P < 0.05) than that in fed rats on days 7 and 9. The concentration of FSH and LH in serum of starved rats was increased after ovariectomy but the levels on days 7 and 9 were lower than those of fed rats.These results suggest that the synthesis of FSH and LH was enhanced in both starved and fed rats following ovariectomy while the rate of release of both hormones was decreased at 7 and 9 days of starvation in comparison with rats fed ad libitum.


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