Changes in gonadotrophin secretion during childhood and puberty

1994 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
N A Bridges ◽  
D R Matthews ◽  
P C Hindmarsh ◽  
C G D Brook

Abstract The changes in gonadotrophin secretion in childhood and puberty involve changes in the pulsatile pattern as well as mean concentration. We have examined pulsatile secretion using 24-h LH profiles in 78 children aged 4·2–15·6 years and six adult men. The profiles were analysed by a method which gives an estimate of peak and baseline levels and by spectral analysis. Prepubertal children were divided into groups by age and pubertal children by pubertal stage. Baseline LH levels in children aged 4·2–6·9 years were higher than in those aged 7·1–9·8 years. Pulse frequency in both groups was slow (periodicities 140–200 min). In the oldest prepubertal group there was an increase in peak levels with increased spectral power at periodicities of 100–120 min. Pulse frequency did not change in puberty (periodicity 120–160 min). Girls demonstrated an increase in both peak and baseline LH concentrations in early puberty. Boys had an increase in only peak levels in early puberty; there was no increase in baseline concentrations until a testicular volume of 10 ml was attained. In conclusion, these data show that LH levels do not reach a nadir until 8 years of age. We have detected a sex difference in the pattern of LH secretion seen in early puberty, and this mirrors clinical findings. The mature pattern attained by the end of puberty in both sexes is probably important for fertility. Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 141, 169–176

1991 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Knight ◽  
J. H. M. Wrathall ◽  
R. G. Glencross ◽  
B. J. McLeod

ABSTRACT It has been shown previously that treatment of seasonally anoestrous ewes with steroid-free bovine follicular fluid (FF), a crude inhibin-containing preparation, leads to a decrease in plasma FSH level which is accompanied by a marked increase in pulsatile LH secretion. Since FF contains several factors (e.g. activin, follistatin, unidentified components) other than inhibin, which might act to modify gonadotrophin secretion, it was of interest to establish whether these concurrent effects of FF on FSH and LH secretion persisted in ewes which had been actively immunized against a synthetic peptide replica of the α subunit of bovine inhibin. In June 1989 (anoestrous period) groups of inhibin-immune and control ewes (n = 5 per group) received 6-hourly s.c. injections of either bovine serum (2 ml) or one of two doses of FF (0·5 ml or 2 ml) for 3 days. Blood was withdrawn at 6-h intervals for 6 days beginning 24 h before the first injection. On the final day of treatment, additional blood samples were withdrawn at 15-min intervals for 8 h to monitor pulsatile LH secretion. Ewes were then challenged with exogenous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 2 μg i.v. bolus) to assess pituitary responsiveness. In control ewes, FF promoted a dose-dependent suppression of basal (maximum suppression 65%; P < 0·01) and post-GnRH (maximum suppression 72%; P < 0·01) levels of FSH in plasma. This was accompanied by an increase (P < 0·01) in LH pulse frequency from 1·40±0·24 (s.e.m.) to 3·20±0·37 pulses/8 h. In contrast, FF did not affect secretion of either FSH or LH in inhibin-immunized ewes. However, mean plasma LH levels in immunized ewes were significantly lower (43%; P < 0·02) than in control ewes, irrespective of treatment. These findings indicate that in the anoestrous ewe the ability of FF to suppress plasma FSH is due entirely to its content of inhibin, that FF-induced enhancement of pulsatile LH secretion is mediated by inhibin, rather than some additional component of FF, and that immunoneutralization of endogenous inhibin can reduce LH secretion. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 128, 403–410


1999 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 293 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Sharma ◽  
D. Blache ◽  
M. A. Blackberry ◽  
G. B. Martin

Both testosterone and its aromatized metabolite, oestradiol-17b, are known to act centrally on the secretion of GnRH, but the major site of aromatization is not clear as aromatase activities are found in numerous tissues including brain and testis. Here, we tested the importance of central aromatization of testosterone using a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor, fadrozole. To distinguish between testicular and non-testicular sites, five intact and five testosterone-infused castrated rams (600 g kg –1 per 24 h for 3 days) were given four injections of fadrozole (i.m; 500 g kg –1 ) at 48, 52, 64 and 68 h relative to the start of testosterone infusion. Control rams (n = 5) received vehicle only. Fadrozole treatment decreased plasma oestradiol-17b concentrations and increased the LH pulse frequency in both intact rams and testosterone-treated castrates, suggesting that non-testicular sites of aromatization are important in the control of pulsatile LH secretion. To test the importance of central aromatization, intact rams (n = 5) were infused into the third ventricle with vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid) or with fadrozole (20 and 200 g kg –1 per day). After two weeks, the same two doses of fadrozole were infused intravenously instead of intracerebrally. Central infusion of fadro-zole did not affect plasma oestradiol concentrations but increased LH pulse frequency. Only the highest dose increased LH pulse frequency when infused intravenously. In conclusion, central aromatization is involved in the control of pulsatile LH secretion in male sheep.


1995 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
D W Miller ◽  
D Blache ◽  
G B Martin

Abstract The effect of nutrition on gonadotrophin secretion may be exerted through a central metabolic signal that reflects nutritional status. We have previously found that glucose and insulin concentrations are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of rams in which the secretion of gonadotrophins has been stimulated by a nutritional supplement of lupin grain (Lupinus angustifolius). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that insulin and/or glucose is a metabolic modulator of GnRH secretion and mediates the effects of nutrition on gonadotrophin secretion. Six mature rams were fed a diet that maintained live weight and then given a series of infusions, each for 12 h/day for 4 days, in a cross-over design. The treatments were: artificial CSF (aCSF), glucose (50 μmol/h) in aCSF, insulin (0·6 ng/h) in aCSF, and glucose (50 μmol/h) plus insulin (0·6 ng/h) in aCSF; all infused at a rate of 5 μl/min. At the same time as the infusion treatments, two other groups of four rams without cerebral cannulae were fed either the maintenance diet or the same diet supplemented with 750 g lupin grain per head per day for 4 days, again in a cross-over design. Rams fed the lupin supplement showed an increase in both LH pulse frequency and mean FSH on day 4 (P<0·05). Infusion of aCSF or glucose did not affect gonadotrophin secretion. Rams infused with insulin or insulin plus glucose showed an increase (P<0·05) in LH pulse frequency but no increase in FSH concentrations on day 4 of infusion. The magnitude of the LH response to insulin was similar to the nutritional response of feeding lupin supplements. There was no effect of any of the infusion treatments on plasma prolactin or insulin secretion. These data show that changes in insulin concentrations in the CSF lead to changes in LH secretion and support the hypothesis that insulin is a metabolic modulator of GnRH secretion and mediates the effects of nutrition on gonadotrophin secretion. Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 147, 321–329


Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 159-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Aravindakshan ◽  
A Honaramooz ◽  
PM Bartlewski ◽  
AP Beard ◽  
RR Pierson ◽  
...  

The reproductive development of bull calves born in spring and autumn was compared. Mean serum LH concentrations in calves born in spring increased from week 4 to week 18 after birth and decreased by week 24. In bull calves born in autumn, mean LH concentrations increased from week 4 to week 8 after birth and remained steady until week 44. LH pulse amplitude was lower in bull calves born in autumn than in calves born in spring until week 24 of age (P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between LH pulse frequency at week 12 after birth and age at puberty in bull calves, irrespective of season of birth, and LH pulse frequency at week 18 also tended to correlate negatively with age at puberty. Mean serum FSH concentrations, age at puberty, bodyweight, scrotal circumference, testes, prostate and vesicular gland dimensions, and ultrasonographic grey scale (pixel units) were not significantly different between bull calves born in autumn and spring. However, age and body-weight at puberty were more variable for bull calves born in autumn (P < 0.05). In a second study, bull calves born in spring received either a melatonin or sham implant immediately after birth and at weeks 6 and 11 after birth. Implants were removed at week 20. Mean LH concentrations, LH pulse frequency and amplitude, mean FSH concentrations and age at puberty did not differ between the two groups. No significant differences between groups in the growth and pixel units of the reproductive tract were observed by ultrasonography. In conclusion, although there were differences in the pattern of LH secretion in the prepubertal period between bull calves born in autumn and spring, the postnatal changes in gonadotrophin secretion were not disrupted by melatonin treatment in bull calves born in spring. Reproductive tract development did not differ between calves born in spring and autumn but age at puberty was more variable in bull calves born in autumn. LH pulse frequency during the early prepubertal period may be a vital factor in determining the age of bull calves at puberty.


1976 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Robyn ◽  
M. L'Hermite ◽  
R. Leclercq ◽  
G. Copinschi

ABSTRACT LRH tests were performed in 6 adult men with intravenous injections of 25 μg, before and one week after an intramuscular injection of 250 mg testosterone oenanthate (Testoviron Depot®). One week after intramuscular injection of Testoviron the tonic secretion of LH was completely suppressed, but the reactivity or the reserve capacity of LH secretion, as tested by LRH, remained unchanged. In contrast, the tonic secretion of FSH and the reactivity of FSH secretion to LRH were both partly suppressed. Three months after the Testoviron injection, the basal levels of LH were still significantly lower than the control values, but the basal levels of FSH were identical to the control values. These data indicate that, in man, the feedback action of testosterone on gonadotrophin secretion could be exerted, at least for LH, at the hypothalamic level rather than at the pituitary level. No significant effects of LRH were noted on the circulating levels of growth hormone and sugar. There was a distinct rise in serum prolactin, which was occasionally significant, within 30 min after LRH injection; this is considered to be without physiological significance.


1989 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 509-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. E. Horton ◽  
H. Francis ◽  
I. J. Clarke

ABSTRACT The natural opioid ligand, β-endorphin, and the opioid antagonist, naloxone, were administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to evaluate effects on LH secretion in ovariectomized ewes and in ovariectomized ewes treated with oestradiol-17β plus progesterone either during the breeding season or the anoestrous season. Ovary-intact ewes were also studied during the follicular phase of the oestrous cycle. Jugular blood samples were taken at 10-min intervals for 8 h and either saline (20–50 μl), 100 μg naloxone or 10 μg β-endorphin were injected i.c.v. after 4 h. In addition, luteal phase ewes were injected i.c.v. with 25 μg β-endorphin(1–27), a purported endogenous opioid antagonist. In ovariectomized ewes, irrespective of season, saline and naloxone did not affect LH secretion, but β-endorphin decreased the plasma LH concentrations, by reducing LH pulse frequency. The effect of β-endorphin was blocked by administering naloxone 30 min beforehand. Treating ovariectomized ewes with oestradiol-17β plus progesterone during the breeding season reduced plasma LH concentrations from 6–8 μg/l to less than 1 μg/l. In these ewes, saline did not alter LH secretion, but naloxone increased LH pulse frequency and the plasma concentrations of LH within 15–20 min. During anoestrus, the combination of oestradiol-17β plus progesterone to ovariectomized ewes reduced the plasma LH concentrations from 3–5 μg/l to undetectable levels, and neither saline nor naloxone affected LH secretion. During the follicular phase of the oestrous cycle, naloxone enhanced LH pulse frequency, which resulted in increased plasma LH concentrations; saline had no effect. In these sheep, β-endorphin decreased LH pulse frequency and the mean concentrations of LH, and this effect was prevented by the previous administration of naloxone. The i.c.v. administration of β-endorphin(1–27) to luteal phase ewes did not affect LH secretion. These data demonstrate the ability of a naturally occurring opioid peptide to inhibit LH secretion in ewes during the breeding and non-breeding seasons, irrespective of the gonadal steroid background. In contrast, whilst the gonadal steroids suppress LH secretion in ovariectomized ewes during both seasons, they only appear to activate endogenous opioid peptide (EOP)-mediated inhibition of LH secretion during the breeding season. Furthermore, these data support the notion that LH secretion in ovariectomized ewes is not normally under the control of EOP, so that naloxone has no effect. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 122, 509–517


1991 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Dong ◽  
R. M. Lazarus ◽  
L. S. Wong ◽  
M. Vellios ◽  
D. J. Handelsman

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the effect of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes on pulsatile LH secretion in the mature male rat. LH pulse frequency was reduced by 56% and pulse amplitude by 54%, with a consequential decrease of 72% in mean LH levels 8 days after i.v. administration of STZ (55 mg/kg) to castrated Wistar rats compared with castrated non-diabetic controls. Twice daily insulin treatment completely reversed all parameters of pulsatile LH secretion to control values. Food-restricted non-diabetic controls, studied to distinguish the metabolic effect of diabetes from that of concurrent weight loss, demonstrated a 34% reduction in LH pulse frequency but no significant changes in LH pulse amplitude or mean LH levels compared with non-diabetic controls given free access to food. To distinguish whether the decreased LH pulse amplitude in diabetes was due to a reduction in either the quantity of hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) released per secretory episode or to decreased pituitary responsiveness to GnRH, the responsiveness of the pituitary to exogenous GnRH (1–1000 ng/kg body weight) was tested in diabetic rats after castration, using a full Latin square experimental design. The net LH response (total area under response curve over 40 min following GnRH) was decreased by 33% (P=0·001) in diabetic compared with control rats. The decreased LH pulse frequency in STZ-induced diabetes therefore suggests that the metabolic effect of diabetes is to decelerate directly the firing rate of the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator independent of testicular feed-back. These effects were fully reversed by insulin treatment and were only partly due to the associated weight loss. The impaired pituitary responsiveness to GnRH is at least partly involved in the reduction of LH pulse amplitude. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 131, 49–55


2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (4) ◽  
pp. E675-E682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes D. Veldhuis ◽  
Paul Y. Takahashi ◽  
Daniel M. Keenan ◽  
Peter Y. Liu ◽  
Kristi L. Mielke ◽  
...  

Testosterone (T) exerts negative feedback on the hypothalamo-pituitary (GnRH-LH) unit, but the relative roles of the CNS and pituitary are not established. We postulated that relatively greater LH responses to flutamide (brain-permeant antiandrogen) than bicalutamide (brain-impermeant antiandrogen) should reflect greater feedback via CNS than pituitary/peripheral androgen receptor-dependent pathways. To this end, 24 healthy men ages 20–73 yr, BMI 21–32 kg/m2, participated in a prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind crossover study of the effects of antiandrogen control of pulsatile, basal, and entropic (pattern regularity) measurements of LH secretion. Analysis of covariance revealed that flutamide but not bicalutamide 1) increased pulsatile LH secretion ( P = 0.003), 2) potentiated the age-related abbreviation of LH secretory bursts ( P = 0.025), 3) suppressed incremental GnRH-induced LH release ( P = 0.015), and 4) decreased the regularity of GnRH-stimulated LH release ( P = 0.012). Furthermore, the effect of flutamide exceeded that of bicalutamide in 1) raising mean LH ( P = 0.002) and T ( P = 0.017) concentrations, 2) accelerating LH pulse frequency ( P = 0.013), 3) amplifying total (basal plus pulsatile) LH ( P = 0.002) and T ( P < 0.001) secretion, 4) shortening LH secretory bursts ( P = 0.032), and 5) reducing LH secretory regularity ( P < 0.001). Both flutamide and bicalutamide elevated basal (nonpulsatile) LH secretion ( P < 0.001). These data suggest the hypothesis that topographically selective androgen receptor pathways mediate brain-predominant and pituitary-dependent feedback mechanisms in healthy men.


1991 ◽  
Vol 124 (6) ◽  
pp. 646-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
RickJ. Strassman ◽  
Clifford R. Qualls ◽  
E.Jonathan Lisansky ◽  
Glenn T. Peake

Abstract. Melatonin affects gonadal function in nonprimate mammals. Confirmatory data in man are not available. We assessed melatonin's acute effects on luteinizing hormone secretion in 17 normal men. We studied these men in conditions of sleep in the dark, and sleep deprivation in bright light, dim light, and bright light combined with a physiologically relevant infusion of melatonin, while measuring blood levels of immunoreactive LH every 20 min for 7 h. We compared overnight LH secretion, and LH pulse frequency, amplitude, length, interval and area under the curve using a modification of the PULSAR peak identification program, among the four treatments. Areas under the curve for peaks in all three conditions of sleep deprivation were lower than in normal sleep. The presence or absence of melatonin had no additional effect. We conclude that acute suppression of melatonin does not affect LH pulse parameters in normal man, but that sleep deprivation may reduce the amount of LH secreted per pulse.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A531-A531
Author(s):  
Richard B McCosh ◽  
Michael J Kreisman ◽  
Katherine Tian ◽  
Steven A Thomas ◽  
Kellie M Breen

Abstract The overarching goal of this work is to identify neural pathways underlying inhibition of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion during stress. Stress-induced suppression of LH secretion is mediated, at least in part, by suppression of arcuate kisspeptin (ARCKiss1) neurons. The mechanisms by which acute stress suppresses ARCKiss1 cell activity are largely unknown; however, several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that A2 neurons (norepinephrine [NE] neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract [NTS] of the brainstem) are involved. First, A2 cells are activated during several reactive stress paradigms. Second, NE administered into the paraventricular nucleus, which is innervated by A2 neurons, suppressed pulsatile LH secretion. Finally, ablation of brainstem NE neurons restored estrous cyclicity following chronic glucoprivation (chronic metabolic stress model). The present study employed chemogenetics to test the hypothesis that A2 neurons are sufficient to suppress pulsatile LH secretion in ovariectomized female dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) Cre positive and negative (wild type) mice. Mice received bilateral injections of either a Cre-dependent stimulatory Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) virus (AAV1-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry) or a control virus (AAV1-DIO-mCherry) into the NTS. Mice were randomly assigned to receive either clozapine N-oxide (CNO, specific DREADD agonist; 1mg/kg, i.p.) or saline and blood samples were collected at 6-min intervals for 60 min before and 90 min after injection. Two weeks later, mice received the alternate treatment in a cross-over design (n= 5-10/grp). During the pre-injection period, all mice had clear LH pulses (mean: 6.0 ± 0.2 ng/mL, pulses/60 min: 3.4 ± 1.5). In DBH Cre- (wild type) mice with hM3D virus and DBH Cre+ with mCherry virus (both control groups), neither CNO nor saline altered mean LH or LH pulse frequency. However, DBH Cre+ mice with hM3D virus had a 54% reduction in mean LH (p &lt; 0.05) and 59% reduction in pulse frequency (p &lt; 0.05) following CNO; neither LH metric was altered in response to saline. To assess transduction efficiency, fixed neural tissue was collected. In tissue analyzed thus far, DBH Cre+ mice have mCherry labeling in ~70% of DBH-immunoreactive neurons in the NTS and &gt;90% of mCherry neurons contained DBH immunoreactivity. Three DBH Cre+ mice with hM3D virus mice had no LH response to CNO and may represent missed viral injections, which will be determined when tissue is analyzed. These data demonstrate that activation of A2 neurons is sufficient to impair pulsatile LH secretion in female mice. Moreover, these data support the broad hypothesis that the A2 population of neurons is critical for modulating neuroendocrine function during stress and raises the possibility that A2 neurons directly or indirectly influence ARCKiss1 cell activity.


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