This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by DUBE, D. Articles by LABRIE, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by DUBE, D. Articles by LABRIE, F.

Morphological Studies of the Canine Pituitary Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Cells after Long-Term Treatment with the LH-Releasing Hormone (LHRH) Agonist [D-Trp⁶]LHRH Ethylamide

MRC Group in Molecular Endocrinology, Le Centre Hospitalier de l’Université Laval Laval, Quebec Gl V 4G2, Canada

Address correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Donald Dube, MRC Group in Molecular Endocrinology, Le Centre Hospitalier de I’Université Laval, Laval, Quebec GlV 4G2, Canada.

Abstract

Since treatment with LHRH agonists (LHRHA) cause changes in LH secretion which are similar in both man and dog, we have studied cytological changes occurring in canine LH cells after chronic administration of an LHRH-A, [D-Trp⁶] LHRH ethylamide. At the light microscopic level, LH cells were distributed evenly in the gland, but showed a decrease in cell surface area of 10% after 1 month and 23% after 4 months of daily injection of 50 µg LHRH-A. At the electron microscopic level, the gonadotrophs from control animals were characterized by the presence of two types of secretory granules and a dilatation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Immunostaining for LH was localized only to secretory granules. LHRH-A administration caused the appearance of glycogen in the cytoplasm. Four months after cessation of the treatment, the gonadotrophs showed a normal cytological appearance, thus indicating full reversibility of the morphological changes induced by long-term treatment with an LHRH-A. (Endocrinology 120: 589–594, 1987)

Received March 17, 1986.