EFFECTS OF LUTEINIZING HORMONE RELEASING HORMONE ON PLASMA FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE AND LUTEINIZING HORMONE LEVELS IN THE FERRET

Heterologous radioimmunoassays for FSH and LH were employed to examine the effect of synthetic LH-RH upon gonadotrophin secretion in the ferret. Intravenous injection of 4 microng LH-RH induced a surge of FSH and of LH secretion in male and in female animals. In intact and in castrated males, the rise of LH was much more marked than that of FSH. The gonadotrophin response to LH-RH was greater in anoestrous than in oestrous females; FSH secretion was not enhanced during oestrus. Ovariectomized females behaved as anoestrous females with respect to LH secretion, while FSH secretion remained unchanged. Treatment of ovariectomized females with progesterone did not alter the pattern of response to LH-RH, but oestradiol treatment depressed the reaction to match that seen in oestrous females. Repetitive injections of LH-RH induced repetitive surges of FSH and LH in anoestrous females, but only of LH during oestrus: slow i.v. infusion of LH-RH induced a sustained elevation of plasma LH levels both in oestrous and in anoestrous females; again FSH levels rose only in anoestrous females. Injection of synthetic TRH did not alter gonadotrophin secretion in corresponding groups of male or female ferrets.