SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF CASTRATION AND STARVATION UPON PITUITARY AND SERUM LEVELS OF LUTEINIZING HORMONE AND FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE IN MALE RATS

1972 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen W. Root ◽  
R. David Russ

ABSTRACT Serum and pituitary levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured by radioimmunoassay in intact and castrated juvenile (21 days) and adult male rats. The effect of total starvation upon the gonadotrophin response to castration was also investigated in adult animals. In rats castrated at 21 days of age, serum and pituitary levels of LH were elevated by 7 days and increased progressively for 4 weeks. Serum concentrations of FSH also increased within 7 days and remained stable thereafter. Pituitary FSH levels initially declined and then increased. In adult animals serum LH and FSH concentrations increased after castration. Pituitary LH values also increased, while FSH levels remained stable for 14 days after operation. Serum FSH concentrations were consistently decreased in starved-intact animals. Starvation partially inhibited castration-induced release of LH without affecting pituitary LH or FSH synthesis or FSH release.

1974 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 491-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junichi Mori ◽  
Hiroshi Nagasawa ◽  
Reiko Yanai ◽  
Junji Masaki

ABSTRACT The sequence of changes in the serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from 2 days before to 24 h after parturition of primiparous Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated by radioimmunoassay. No appreciable change in average serum FSH levels was observed during 2 days before and 1 h after parturition. After this the levels increased gradually to show a peak at 7 h after parturition and then declined gradually until 24 h after parturition. However, the level at 24 h after parturition was still twice as high as that at parturition (0 h). The average serum LH levels which were low between 2 days before and 1 h after parturition, showed a peak at 7 h and decreased toward 13 h after parturition. The same levels as at parturition were maintained between 13 and 24 h after parturition. The time of surge of either FSH or LH was closely related to the time after parturition. There were some differences between FSH and LH in the patterns of sequence of changes in the serum levels near parturition.


1974 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. EL SAFOURY ◽  
A. BARTKE

SUMMARY The effects of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) on plasma testosterone levels were examined in hypophysectomized and in intact immature and adult male rats. The animals were injected with saline, LH, FSH, or both gonadotrophins twice daily for 3·5 days and were killed 3 h after the last injection. Plasma testosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. In immature hypophysectomized rats, plasma testosterone levels were not changed by treatment with LH, FSH or LH plus FSH. The weight of the testes and of the seminal vesicles was increased only in animals injected with both LH and FSH. In adult hypophysectomized rats, LH caused the expected increase in plasma testosterone levels, while FSH injected alone had no effect. Plasma testosterone levels in rats treated with 5 μg LH and 20 μg FSH were significantly greater than those in animals given 5 μg LH alone. However, the same dose of FSH did not potentiate the action of 25 μg LH on plasma testosterone levels. In adult hypophysectomized rats the weight of testes was not affected by any of the treatments. The weight of the seminal vesicles was increased by the higher dose of LH and addition of FSH caused no further increase. In intact immature and adult rats plasma testosterone levels and the weight of testes were not changed by any of the treatments. Seminal vesicle weight was increased only in adult rats treated with the higher dose of LH together with FSH. The results demonstrate that FSH potentiates the action of low doses of LH on plasma testosterone levels in adult hypophysectomized rats and suggest that FSH may be involved in the regulation of androgen secretion by the rat testis.


1987 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. A. Weber ◽  
M. P. Ooms ◽  
J. T. M. Vreeburg

ABSTRACT The effects of hyperprolactinaemia on serum levels of LH were investigated in adult male rats of the R × U strain. Hyperprolactinaemia was induced by three pituitary grafts under the kidney capsule, transplanted on day 0 of each experiment. Special attention was paid to the contribution of prolactin-stimulated testes, adrenals and corticosterone. In experiment 1, hyperprolactinaemia significantly reduced the serum concentrations of LH in intact rats. In spite of a significant increase in the serum levels of corticosterone, serum testosterone was not significantly affected by hyperprolactinaemia. The weights of both the adrenals and accessory sex glands were significantly increased at autopsy. In experiment 2, treatment with 10 mg corticosterone s.c. daily from day 14 to day 28 after pituitary grafting significantly reduced serum levels of both LH and testosterone. The suppression of testosterone in the hyperprolactinaemic corticosterone-treated animals was significantly less than in the corticosterone-treated control animals. The weights of the accessory sex glands were significantly increased in the hyperprolactinaemic animals. In experiment 3, rats were adrenalectomized and half of them were substituted with corticosterone. Serum testosterone levels significantly increased in both hyperprolactinaemic adrenalectomized rats and in adrenalectomized corticosterone-treated animals without any significant effect on serum LH. Again the weights of the accessory sex glands were significantly increased in the hyperprolactinaemic animals. In experiment 4, rats were adrenalectomized, gonadectomized and corticosterone treated on day 0 and then implanted with a 2, 1·5 or 1 cm silicone elastomer capsule containing testosterone. On day 28 after pituitary grafting, LH levels were significantly suppressed in animals with a 2 or 1·5 cm testosterone implant. The weights of the accessory sex glands were not increased in the hyperprolactinaemic animals. These results show that in the male rat the inhibitory effects of hyperprolactinaemia on serum LH levels may be due to (1) increased sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis to the negative feedback action of testosterone by prolactin and by the prolactin-stimulated corticosterone secretion and (2) stimulation of testicular testosterone secretion by prolactin, which can also explain the increased weights of the accessory sex glands. Even in the presence of high serum concentrations of corticosterone, stimulation of testicular testosterone secretion by prolactin was observed. J. Endocr. (1987) 113,111–116


1994 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gonzalez-Barcena ◽  
Manuel Vadillo Buenfil ◽  
Emilo Garcia Procel ◽  
Laura Guerra-Arguero ◽  
Imelda Cardenas Cornejo ◽  
...  

Gonzalez-Barcena D, Vadillo Buenfil M, Garcia Procel E, Guerra-Arguero L, Cardenas Cornejo I, Comaru-Schally AM, Schally AV. Inhibition of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and sex-steroid levels in men and women with a potent antagonist analog of LH-RH, Cetrorelix (SB-75). Eur J Endocrinol 1994;131:286–92. ISSN 0804–4643 Cetrorelix (SB-75; [Ac-d-Nal(2)1, d-Phe(4Cl)2, d-Pal(3)3, d-Cit6, d-Ala10] luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)) is a new highly potent antagonist analog of LHRH containing the d-ureidoalkyl amino acid d-citrulline at position 6 and is free of allergenic effects. This study shows the inhibition of LH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release in normal men, postmenopausal women and patients with gonadal dysgenesis, using different doses and im, sc and iv routes of administration of SB-75. The mean serum levels of LH and FSH in normal men who received one single dose of 300 μg of SB-75 sc started to decline rapidly 1 h after its administration; the LH suppression was sustained for 14 h and that of FSH up to 24 h or longer as the samples were obtained only up to this time. The nadir for LH was reached at 14 h and that for FSH at 24 h or later after administration of the antagonist (p < 0.05). Serum levels of total and free testosterone decreased after the first hour and this inhibition was maintained for up to 14 h. The nadir for total testosterone was at 6 h and that for free testosterone was at 8 h (p < 0.001), corresponding to 56% and 60% of inhibition, respectively. In postmenopausal women, inhibition of the elevated basal serum LH and FSH levels occurred after a single injection of the antagonist analog SB-75 in doses of 75, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 μg using im, sc and iv routes of administration. The mean resting levels of serum LH and FSH showed a significant decrease for all doses and routes of administration of SB-75 (p < 0.01). Maximal inhibition was observed 6–12 h after administration. After administration of 300 μg of SB-75 sc every 12 h for 3 days, serum LH and FSH continued to be secreted but a marked decrease in the basal levels of both gonadotropins was observed. A fall in LH and FSH also was produced in patients with gonadal dysgenesis who were given 300 μg of SB-75. The nadir of serum LH was 61 ± 9.6% for the iv route and 58.5 ± 7.5% for the sc route (p < 0.01); for serum FSH it was 51 ± 7.5% and 48.5 ± 7.5% (p < 0.01), respectively, of the baseline levels. These results show that the antagonistic analog SB-75 is devoid of allergenic effects, extremely active in small doses and can be administered safely to humans. The development of sustained delivery systems for SB-75 should facilitate the clinical use of this powerful LHRH antagonist. David Gonzalez-Barcena, Hospital de Especialidades Centro Medico La Raza, Seris Y Zaachila, Col. La Raza, Mexico D.F.


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