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Correlations Between Ovarian Sensitivity, Vaginal Cyclicity and Luteinizing Hormone and Prolactin Secretion in Lightly Androgenized Rats¹

Neuroscience and Anatomy Departments, and Brain Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles Los Angeles, California 90024

Address all correspondence to: Dr. Roger A. Gorski, Department of Anatomy, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024.

Abstract

In an investigation of the possible sequence of changes that occurs as lightly androgenized rats become sterile, a combined test of ovarian sensitivity to LH and the ability of gonadal steroids to facilitate luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion was administered to normal and androgenized rats given 10 µg testosterone propionate on day 5 (to induce the delayed anovulation syndrome). Pentobarbital- b locked proestrous or similarly treated persistent estrous rats were given an iv injection of LH, and one ovary was removed the next morning for microscopic examination of tiibal ova. The following morning (1000 h), estradiol benzoate was injected and a blood sample taken that afternoon (1700h). The next morning (1000 h) progesterone was injected and blood samples were taken that and the following afternoon (both at 1700 h). The entire test was repeated in the same animals 3–4 weeks later, with removal of the remaining ovary. In cycling animals (both normal controls and cycling androgenized rats), the LH induced ovulation, and the steroids induced a 24-h advance in the LH surge. Ovarian sensitivity was reduced in the persistent estrous rats in one experiment, but not in a second. Persistent estrous rats also failed to respond to gonadal steroids with increased LH release. Androgenized rats (both cycling and persistent estrous) had higher plasma prolactin titers than did the normal animals. Thus, changes in prolactin secretion may occur before the animal becomes sterile, while changes in LH secretion occur concomitantly with development of persistent vaginal estrus, and changes in ovarian sensitivity may occur after development of persistent estrus.

Footnotes

¹ Supported by NIH Grant HD-01182 and the Ford Foundation.

² Predoctoral Trainee, Mental Health Training Program, USPHS Training Grant MH 06415. Submitted in partial fullfillment of the Ph.D. requirements in the Neuroscience Department.

Received January 21, 1977.

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