Endocrinology, Vol 117, 849-854, Copyright © 1985 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Effects of glucocorticoids on secretion of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone by female rat pituitary cells in vitro

DE Suter and NB Schwartz

To determine if the divergent effects of glucocorticoids on the circulating levels of LH and FSH in female rats are exerted directly on the pituitary, adult female pituitary cells were treated either with no glucocorticoids or with 60 or 600 ng/ml cortisol or corticosterone during one or two 48-h incubations. During the second 48 h, some cells from each group were treated with GnRH (1.7 X 10(-12) - 4.6 X 10(-9) M). Concentrations of LH and FSH in media and cells were measured by RIA. Basal secretion of LH was inhibited 38-43% by different glucocorticoid treatment during the first 48 h and 21% by 600 ng/ml corticosterone during the second 48 h. In contrast, basal secretion of FSH was enhanced 22-64% during the first 48 h and 25-124% during the second 48 h. Secretion of LH in response to maximal stimulation with GnRH was unaffected by glucocorticoids, but maximal secretion of FSH was increased 68%. The responsiveness of the cells to GnRH, as determined from the slope of the GnRH dose-response curve for LH, was increased 43-50% by cortisol. The slope of the dose-response curve for FSH was unaffected, but the mean concentration of FSH as a function of the log dose of GnRH was increased 45-79%. Glucocorticoids had no effect on cell content of LH or total LH per dish, either under basal or maximal GnRH-stimulated conditions. Glucocorticoids increased basal cell content of FSH 41-82%, basal total FSH 35-93%, and maximal GnRH- stimulated total FSH 40-84%. These results suggest that the only negative effect of glucocorticoids on reproduction exerted at the level of the pituitary is a slight suppression of basal LH secretion, that glucocorticoids affect the pituitary directly by increasing FSH synthesis, and that the divergent effects of glucocorticoids on LH and FSH provide a novel model for differential regulation of the gonadotropins.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. A. Stackpole, I. J. Clarke, K. M. Breen, A. I. Turner, F. J. Karsch, and A. J. Tilbrook Sex Difference in the Suppressive Effect of Cortisol on Pulsatile Secretion of Luteinizing Hormone in Sheep Endocrinology, December 1, 2006; 147(12): 5921 - 5931. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. Oltmanns, B. Fruehwald-Schultes, W. Kern, J. Born, H. L. Fehm, and A. Peters Hypoglycemia, But Not Insulin, Acutely Decreases LH and T Secretion in Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2001; 86(10): 4913 - 4919. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. L. Bohnsack, M. Szabo, S. M. Kilen, D. H.Y. Tam, and N. B. Schwartz Follistatin Suppresses Steroid-Enhanced Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Release In Vitro in Rats Biol Reprod, March 1, 2000; 62(3): 636 - 641. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				R. M. Sapolsky, L. M. Romero, and A. U. Munck How Do Glucocorticoids Influence Stress Responses? Integrating Permissive, Suppressive, Stimulatory, and Preparative Actions Endocr. Rev., February 1, 2000; 21(1): 55 - 89. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Y.-S. Huang, K. Rousseau, M. Sbaihi, N. Le Belle, M. Schmitz, and S. Dufour Cortisol Selectively Stimulates Pituitary Gonadotropin {beta}-Subunit in a Primitive Teleost, Anguilla anguilla Endocrinology, March 1, 1999; 140(3): 1228 - 1235. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				F. Tejada, A. Cremades, M. Aviles, M. T. Castells, and R. Penafiel Hypokalemia alters sex hormone and gonadotropin levels: evidence that FSH may be required for luteinization Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, December 1, 1998; 275(6): E1037 - E1045. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. CALOGERO, G. BAGDY, and R. D'AGATA Mechanisms of Stress on Reproduction: Evidence for a Complex Intra-Hypothalamic Circuit Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., June 30, 1998; 851(1): 364 - 370. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Szabo, S. M. Kilen, S. Saberi, S. J. Ringstrom, and N. B. Schwartz Antiprogestins Suppress Basal and Activin-Stimulated Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Secretion in an Estrogen-Dependent Manner Endocrinology, May 1, 1998; 139(5): 2223 - 2228. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. J. Ringstrom, M. Szabo, S. M. Kilen, S. Saberi, K. L. Knox, and N. B. Schwartz The Antiprogestins RU486 and ZK98299 Affect Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Secretion Differentially on Estrus, but not on Proestrus Endocrinology, June 1, 1997; 138(6): 2286 - 2290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. L. Miller and K. E. Mayo Glucocorticoids Regulate Pituitary Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Expression Endocrinology, June 1, 1997; 138(6): 2458 - 2465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]