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Endocrinology Vol. 141, No. 1 219-228
Copyright © 2000 by The Endocrine Society


ARTICLES

N-Methyl D,L-Aspartate Induces the Release of Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone in the Prepubertal and Pubertal Female Rhesus Monkey as Measured by in Vivo Push-Pull Perfusion in the Stalk-Median Eminence1

Lee E. Claypool2, Etsuko Kasuya, Youichi Saitoh3, Farshid Marzban4 and Ei Terasawa

Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center (L.E.C., E.K., Y.S., F.M., E.T.), and Department of Pediatrics (E.T.), University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53715-1299

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Ei Terasawa, Ph.D., Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, 1223 Capitol Court, Madison, Wisconsin 53715-1299. E-mail: terasawa{at}primate.wisc.edu


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The role of the excitatory amino acid glutamate, N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist, in stimulating in vivo luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) release in the stalk-median eminence of conscious prepubertal and pubertal female rhesus monkeys was evaluated using push-pull perfusion. In Exp 1, the effects of iv bolus injection of N-methyl D,L-aspartate (NMA) on LHRH release were examined. Injection of NMA induced an increase in LHRH release in all maturational stages of monkeys. Although the LHRH response to NMA tended to be larger in the older groups, only the duration of the LHRH response in the midpubertal group was significantly longer than that in the prepubertal group. In Exp 2, the effects of direct infusion of NMA (0.1, 1, and 100 µM) into the stalk-median eminence on LHRH release were similarly examined. NMA infusion stimulated LHRH release in pubertal monkeys, whereas it did not induce any consistent changes in LHRH release in prepubertal monkeys except for the highest dose. These data suggest that: 1) the systemic injection of NMA is more effective than direct infusion of NMA; and 2) the prepubertal LHRH neurosecretory system is capable of responding to NMDA, although the responsiveness may undergo developmental changes. Therefore, stimulation of NMDA receptors may contribute to the pubertal changes in the LHRH neurosecretory activity.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
THE PREPUBERTAL PERIOD of the rhesus monkey is characterized by the quiescent state of the hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurosecretory system: gonadotropin secretion is low, and it remains low even after gonadectomy (1, 2, 3). At the onset of puberty, hypophyseal secretion of gonadotropin increases (1, 2, 3), as a result of the increased release of LHRH observed in the stalk-median eminence (S-ME) in vivo, i.e. LHRH levels in pubertal female monkeys are higher than in prepubertal monkeys (4, 5, 6). The prepubertal quiescence of the hypothalamic LHRH neurosecretory system is a subject of particular interest because little is known about the regulatory mechanisms. The fundamental significance of these LHRH regulatory mechanisms has been demonstrated by the fact that pulsatile infusion of LHRH induces menarche followed by ovulatory cycles in sexually immature monkeys (7), and electrical stimulation of the medial-basal hypothalamus in prepubertal females induces LHRH secretion in the S-ME equal to that of monkeys at later stages of development (8). These exogenous interventions suggest that, even before the normal time of puberty, the reproductive axis is capable of a mature level of function if given the appropriate signals. Therefore, an important line of inquiry now focuses on the mechanisms by which pubertal changes in the LHRH neurosecretory system occur.

A line of evidence indicates that the decrease in inhibition from {gamma}-amino butyric acid (GABA) neurons is responsible for the pubertal increase in LHRH release at the onset of puberty (9): 1) GABA release in the S-ME in prepubertal monkeys was much higher than that in pubertal monkeys (10, 11); 2) the direct infusion of bicuculline, a GABAA receptor antagonist, into the S-ME of prepubertal monkeys induced a dramatic increase in LHRH release, whereas it induced only a small increase in LHRH in pubertal monkeys (10); 3) GABA infusion suppressed LHRH release in pubertal but not in prepubertal monkeys (9); 4) the pulsatile infusion of bicuculline resulted in precocious menarche and first ovulation (12); and 5) infusion of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67 and GAD65) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) into the S-ME of prepubertal monkeys induced a dramatic increase in LHRH release (13, 14), presumably attributable to the reduction of synthesis and release of GABA. GAD67 and GAD65, derived from two different genes, are the catalytic enzymes for GABA synthesis from glutamate. Interestingly, during the course of these earlier studies, we found that the reduction in tonic GABA inhibition led to the prompt increase in release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in the S-ME (11).

It has been reported that: 1) the stimulatory amino acid analog N-methyl-D,L-aspartate (NMA) elicited LH release in the prepubertal male monkey (15) and advanced the onset of puberty in the female rat and male monkey (16, 17, 18, 19); and 2) specific N-methyl D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor blockers suppressed pulsatile LH secretion in the rat (20) and delayed the timing of puberty and prevented prepubertal estradiol-induced LH surges in the rat (17, 21). Although both glutamate and NMDA perifusion to rat hypothalamic explants stimulated LHRH release in vitro (22, 23, 24), to date, it has not been shown that systemic injection of NMDA or direct infusion of NMDA into the S-ME results in LHRH release in vivo. Therefore, the present study examines the stimulatory effect of NMA on LHRH release and the hypothesis that stimulation of excitatory amino acid receptors contributes to the progress of puberty. The hypothalamic push-pull perfusion technique was used to directly observe the in vivo response of the LHRH neurosecretory system to NMA administration in fully conscious female monkeys, and the magnitude and dynamics of the response were compared at the prepubertal and pubertal stages of development.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Experimental animals
Female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), born at the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center and weaned at 10–11 months of age, were used in this study. Experimental data were collected at ages ranging from 13.5–49.2 months. Monkeys were housed in pairs in rooms with a controlled photoperiod (lights on, 0600 h–1800 h; and temperature, 22 C). A standard diet of Purina Monkey Chow (Ralston Purina Co., St. Louis, MO) was provided each morning, supplemented with fruit several times per week, with water provided ad libitum. In all monkeys, daily observations of sex-skin color and menstruation, weekly blood samples for determining LH and progesterone, and monthly measurements of body weight were monitored to assess pubertal development, as described previously (2, 25). Pubertal stages of development and characteristic age categories were defined as: 1) prepubertal (no physical or endocrine signs of puberty evident); 2) early pubertal (slight development of sex-skin color and nocturnally elevated circadian LH but before menarche); and 3) midpubertal (after menarche but before first ovulation). The protocol for this study was reviewed and approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee, University of Wisconsin, and all experiments were conducted under the guidelines established by the NIH and USDA.

Push-pull perfusion
Before push-pull perfusion experiments, monkeys were stereotaxically implanted with a stainless steel cranial pedestal (200 mm od) under halothane anesthesia, as described previously (26, 27, 28). This pedestal was aligned dorsoventrally with the infundibular recess of the third ventricle using an x-ray ventriculogram obtained after ventricular injection of a radioopaque dye (iohexol). The pedestal was then fixed to the skull with surgical bolts and dental acrylic. Monkeys were allowed at least 4 weeks to recover and were gradually adapted to a primate chair, the experimental environment, and the presence of the researchers.

Three days before each push-pull perfusion experiment, the monkey was anesthetized with 10 mg/kg BW ketamine hydrochloride (Bristol Laboratories, Syracuse, NY) and placed in a stereotaxic apparatus (Model 1504, David Kopf, Tujunga, CA). A hydraulic microdrive unit (model MO95-B, Narishige, Tokyo, Japan), allowing precise three-dimensional adjustment, was used to insert an outer cannula (20 gauge, 0.80 mm od) with an inner stylet (27 gauge, 0.42 mm od) into the S-ME. As described previously (25, 26, 27), accurate placement of the cannula was confirmed using x-rays that were compared with the ventriculogram obtained earlier. The location of the outer cannula tip, relative to the ventral tip of the third ventricle, was similar for each of the groups in the two experiments of this study (Fig. 1Go). After cannula placement, monkeys were placed in a primate chair for 3 days. The procedure does not induce stress, judged from cortisol levels and behaviors (26, 27), given that monkeys were well adapted to primate chairs before this study.



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Figure 1. Schematic illustrations of the cannula tip sites in the S-ME in Exp 1 (A–C) and Exp 2 (D and E). In Exp 1, filled circles indicate the sites from NMA-injected animals, and open circles indicate the sites from saline-injected animals. In Exp 2, filled circles indicate all animals involved in the study, regardless of NMA doses. ap, Anterior pituitary; mm, mamillary nuclei; oc, optic chiasm; pp, posterior pituitary; VIII, third ventricle.

 
Push-pull perfusion was performed three days after insertion of the outer cannula. The stylet was replaced with an inner cannula (29 gauge, 0.32 mm od), through which modified Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer solution (aCSF, pH 7.4) (27) with bacitracin (4 U/ml) (29) was infused at 20 µl/min with a peristaltic pump. Ten-minute fractions were collected continuously in polypropylene vials on ice, immediately frozen on dry ice, and stored at -20 C. Perfusions were begun at 0700 h–0800 h and continued for 10–12 h. After the experiment, the monkeys were returned to their home cages to rest for at least 1 month before the next push-pull perfusion.

Experimental design
Exp 1. Effects of systemic administration of NMA (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) on LHRH release were examined in monkeys at the prepubertal stage (15.7 ± 0.9 months of age; n = 10, with 7 monkeys, 3 of 7 being tested twice at different ages within this stage), the early pubertal stage (26.3 ± 0.8 months of age; n = 9, with 7 monkeys, 2 of 9 being tested twice at different ages within this stage), and the midpubertal stage (41.5 ± 1.9 months of age; n = 10, with 8 monkeys, 2 of 8 being tested twice at different ages within this stage). NMA (10 mg/kg BW) was administered as an iv bolus via a catheter, which had been placed in the femoral or saphenous vein on the day that the outer cannula was inserted. The NMA dose was chosen based on earlier studies in rats and monkeys (15, 16, 30), in which 15 mg/kg BW was used. Perfusates were collected for three 10-min intervals before the injection of NMA to provide a baseline period, and then for 6 10-min intervals to observe changes in LHRH release. Control experiments with saline injection were done in the same manner at the prepubertal (16.9 ± 0.8 months of age, n = 8), the early pubertal (25.9 ± 0.9 months of age; n = 9, with 7 monkeys, 2 of 7 being tested two times at different ages within this stage), and the midpubertal stage (41.4 ± 1.9 months of age, n = 10). When an individual was used more than once within an age group, the experiments were separated by 2.0–3.0 months. One individual received NMA at the prepubertal stage (17.3 months of age) and again at the early pubertal stage (24.0 months of age). Four individuals received NMA at both the early- and midpubertal stages, with the experiments separated by 2.5–14.0 months. Different sites within the S-ME were employed whenever an individual was used for more than one perfusion.

Exp 2. To determine the effects of direct infusion of NMDA into the S-ME on LHRH release before and after the onset of puberty, push-pull perfusion was conducted in prepubertal (17.8 ± 0.2 months of age, n = 14) and pubertal (32.7 ± 1.1 months of age, n = 15) monkeys. After 2 h of control infusion, NMA dissolved in aCSF at 0.01, 1, or 100 µM was infused into the S-ME through the push cannula for 10 min, while perfusates were continuously collected through the pull cannula for LHRH determination. Vehicle was infused in the same manner as the control. These doses were chosen based on the studies by others (22, 23, 24). The challenges were performed at 90-min intervals for a period of 12 h in each experiment. This interval was chosen to obtain stable baseline data before the next NMA challenge after one, which would result in an LHRH response over 40 min. The order of infusion at different doses or vehicle was varied randomly in each experiment to avoid possible effects of priming or depletion of LHRH stores by the NMA challenge.

LHRH determination
LHRH concentration in perfusates was determined by RIA (31) using antiserum R1245, kindly supplied by Dr. Terry Nett (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO). Synthetic LHRH (Peninsula Laboratories, Inc., Belmont, CA) was used as the radiolabeled antigen and as the reference standard. Assay sensitivity was 0.1 pg/tube at 95% binding. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 7.0% and 8.8%, respectively.

Data analysis
The raw LHRH concentrations per 10-min fraction (pg/ml) were used for statistical analysis. In Exp 1, the significance of differences before and after NMA injection, and between age groups was determined by ANOVA for repeated measures, followed by post hoc analysis with Student’s-Newman-Keuls’ test. The pre-NMA baseline was defined as the mean of the first three samples. The latency to the onset of the NMA-induced LHRH release was defined as the interval from injection until the first LHRH value greater than 2 SD of the baseline above the preinjection value, and the peak latency was defined as the interval between the time of injection to the LHRH peak. Minimum latency was 5 min, because the first perfusate sample after the NMA injection contained the first 5 min of perfusate already in the tubing before the injection. The duration of the LHRH response was defined as the interval between the first and the last significant LHRH increases (larger than 2 SD of the baseline). The amplitude of the peak was expressed as picograms per milliliter and as a percent of the baseline. In Exp 2, the effects of NMA infusion on LHRH release were determined by using ANOVA for repeated measures followed by post hoc Student’s-Newman-Keuls’ multiple-range tests. Mean levels of LHRH during the 20-min period before each infusion were compared with the mean LHRH levels in samples from the following 10-min samples. For graphic expression, normalized values of LHRH, for which each data point was expressed as a percentage of the mean of the first three (Exp 1) or two (Exp 2) baseline values for a given individual, were used. P < 0.05 was considered significant for all tests.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Exp 1
In all three age groups, the iv bolus injection of NMA elicited a pronounced subsequent increase in LHRH release, with marked variation in the amplitude of the peak between individuals (Fig. 2Go). In all individuals, regardless of age, the onset of the increased LHRH release was apparent in the first or second fraction collected after the injection; and all of the peak values occurred in the first, second, or third fractions after injection. Baseline LHRH levels in the midpubertal group were higher than in both prepubertal and early pubertal groups (P < 0.05, Table 1Go). Although there was a tendency for the NMA-induced LHRH response to be larger in the early- and midpubertal monkeys (Figs. 2Go and 3Go), only the duration of the NMDA-induced LHRH release in the midpubertal group was longer than in the prepubertal group (P < 0.02, Table 1Go). The latency to LHRH increase, the peak latency, and the peak amplitude were not significantly different among groups. In particular, lack of a significant difference between the peak amplitudes of prepubertal and pubertal monkeys was attributable to the large variation between individuals.



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Figure 2. Effects of iv injection of 10 mg/kg BW of NMA or saline injection, on LHRH release in the S-ME. The time of injection is indicated by an arrow at time zero. Two representative cases with NMA treatment and one representative case with saline treatment in the prepubertal (top), early pubertal (middle), and midpubertal (bottom) age groups are shown. Age is indicated for each individual. The y-axis in some individuals differs.

 

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Table 1. Effects of iv administration of NMA on LHRH release

 


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Figure 3. Changes in mean (±SEM) LHRH release in the S-ME after iv injection of NMA or saline, indicated by an arrow at time zero, in the prepubertal, early pubertal, and midpubertal age groups. LHRH values are expressed as a percentage of the baseline concentration (mean of first three samples, before NMA). *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01 vs. baseline value. a, P < 0.05 vs. prepubertal group.

 
An ANOVA indicated that bolus NMA injection significantly elevated LHRH release in all age groups (P < 0.01 to 0.05) when compared with the respective saline controls (Fig. 3Go). An ANOVA further indicated that NMA injection resulted in significant effects on LHRH release, compared with preinjection levels (within groups, all P < 0.01). Post hoc analysis indicated that either the first or second fraction collected after the NMA injection was the peak, and LHRH levels of these fractions were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in all other fractions except the one after the peak and were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in the three baseline fractions or the last two fractions in the experiment. In the second fraction of the midpubertal group after the NMA injection, LHRH was also significantly elevated, relative to all fractions except the one before it and the one after it (P < 0.05). A significant difference between age groups was observed only in the second fraction after NMA (P < 0.02). This difference is attributable to the high mean levels of LHRH in the midpubertal group. In fact, mean LHRH in the midpubertal group was the highest at this second time point, rather than at the first time point (as seen in the pre- and early pubertal groups).

In contrast to the effects of NMA on LHRH release, saline injection did not result in any consistent effects on LHRH levels in individuals (Fig. 2Go), or on group LHRH means over time or between age groups (Fig. 3Go).

Exp 2
In prepubertal monkeys, NMA infusion into the S-ME at all doses, except for 100 µM, did not induce consistently robust responses (Fig. 4Go). At 100 µM, NMA stimulated LHRH release (Fig. 4Go): in two of the five prepubertal monkeys NMA resulted in a large LHRH response, whereas in the remaining three prepubertal monkeys, moderate LHRH responses were observed. In contrast, in pubertal monkeys, NMA infusion at 0.1–100 µM resulted in increases in LHRH release (Fig. 5Go). In all cases, the peak was observed in the first or second sample after the initiation of NMA infusion, and the LHRH increase lasted for 20–40 min. There was, however, no obvious dose response to NMA. In addition, to test whether an extremely high dose of NMA results in a higher response, we examined the effects of NMA at 1 and 10 mM in two pubertal monkeys. LHRH responses to these higher doses of NMA were similar to those observed with lower doses (data not shown).



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Figure 4. Examples of the effects of NMA infusion into the S-ME on LHRH release in prepubertal monkeys. Two cases at each dose are shown. Only NMA infusion at 100 µM consistently resulted in LHRH release in prepubertal monkeys. Shaded and open bars indicate the time of NMA and vehicle infusion, respectively. The y-axis in some individuals differs.

 


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Figure 5. Examples of the effects of NMA infusion into the S-ME on LHRH release in pubertal monkeys. Two cases at each dose are shown. NMA infusion at all doses resulted in increases in LHRH release in pubertal monkeys. Shaded and open bars indicate the time of NMA and vehicle infusion, respectively. The y-axis in some individuals differs.

 
ANOVA indicated that NMA infusion into the S-ME in prepubertal monkeys only stimulated LHRH release at 100 µM (P < 0.05, Fig. 6AGo). Post hoc analysis further indicated that, in prepubertal monkeys, the mean LHRH level, 10 and 20 min after the NMA (100 µM) infusion, was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the preinfusion basal level (Fig. 6AGo). In contrast, in pubertal monkeys, similar infusion of NMA at all doses (0.01, 1 and 100 µM) significantly (for all P < 0.05) stimulated LHRH release (Fig. 6BGo). Post hoc analysis indicated the significant increases in LHRH release occurred during the first 10-min period after the initiation of NMA infusion at 0.01 µM, the first 20 min after NMA at 1 µM, and a 40-min period after NMA at 100 µM (P < 0.01 to P < 0.05, Fig. 6BGo). Vehicle did not induce any significant changes in either age group. A significant difference in age groups was observed with NMA at 0.01 and 1 µM (P < 0.05) but not at 100 µM.



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Figure 6. Changes in mean (± SEM) LHRH release in the S-ME after infusion of NMA or vehicle in prepubertal (A) and pubertal (B) monkeys. LHRH values are expressed as a percentage of the baseline concentration (mean of two samples before NMA). NMA infusion was initiated at time zero. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01 vs. baseline value. a, P < 0.05 vs. prepubertal group.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Exp 1 demonstrates that a single bolus iv injection of NMA, a stimulatory amino acid analog, results in increased LHRH release in the S-ME of female monkeys at the pre-, early, and midpubertal stages of development, and the response to NMA tends to be larger in midpubertal monkeys than in prepubertal monkeys. The results of Exp 2 indicate that direct infusion of NMA, at 0.1–100 µM, into the S-ME in pubertal monkeys, stimulates the LHRH release, whereas only the highest dose in prepubertal monkeys resulted in an increase in LHRH release.

The individual LHRH profiles in Exp 1 suggest that the amplitude of the LHRH responses to NMA in older monkeys was larger than in younger monkeys, but the difference did not reach a significant level. Moreover, a higher proportion of individuals in the pre- and early pubertal groups had peak LHRH values in the first fraction after the NMA injection; whereas in the midpubertal group, more had LHRH peaks in the second fraction after the NMA. Indeed, the NMA-induced LHRH increases in older monkeys were larger than in younger monkeys because the sustained levels of NMA-induced LHRH release (duration) lasted significantly longer. Because NMA was administered on a mg/kg BW basis, a delayed response would be attributable to differences in the pharmacodynamics between those in the injection site (femoral vein) and those in the target site (S-ME), among the age groups. Nonetheless, the data suggest that the LHRH neurosecretory system is less responsive in younger monkeys than in older monkeys, similar to results reported in the rat (23, 32). This conclusion is further supported by the results of Exp 2, in which NMA at lower doses was more effective in pubertal monkeys than in prepubertal monkeys. The question of whether the developmental changes in LHRH responsiveness to NMA in female monkeys is ovarian steroid-dependent, -independent, or both, remains to be investigated.

In the present study, systemic injection of NMA at 10 mg/kg resulted in more robust effects on LHRH release than direct application of NMA with any doses at 0.01–100 µM into the S-ME. In pubertal monkeys, NMA injection induced an average increase of 400% over the baseline LHRH levels, whereas direct application of NMA at most doses resulted in increases of only up to 200% . Similarly, in prepubertal monkeys, NMA injection induced a 360% increase over the baseline, whereas direct infusion of NMA at 100 µM caused increases only up to 200% , except for a few cases in which a higher increase was observed, and doses at 0.1 and 1 µM failed to induce any consistent changes. In addition, when we tested the effects of NMA at 10 mM infusion in pubertal monkeys, the LHRH responses were essentially similar to those of NMA at lower doses. The systemic dose of NMA at 10 mg/kg would be equivalent to approximately 500 µM, assuming that NMA transported into the brain through the blood-brain-barrier is equal to that transported to the whole body. These results are interpreted to mean that direct infusion of NMA into the S-ME (where LHRH neuroterminals are concentrated but only a small number of LHRH perikarya are present) is not as effective as systemic NMA administration, by which NMA is delivered widely into the brain (where not only a large number of LHRH perikarya, but also interneurons, are exposed to NMA). Therefore, input to the LHRH soma (either directly on LHRH neurons or indirectly via interneurons), rather than input to LHRH neuroterminals, seems to be more important for the activation of NMDA receptors, resulting in LHRH release.

It has been shown that NMDA receptors are widely distributed in the hypothalamus (see 33), but only 8–17% of the NMDA-preferring subunits NMDAR1 and NMDAR2A are colocalized within LHRH perikarya of the rat preoptic area and hypothalamus (34), and almost no colocalization of the {alpha}-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid-preferring subunits Glu R1, Glu R2, Glu R3, and Glu R4 with LHRH neurons is observed. In contrast, approximately one third of LHRH perikarya contain the kianate receptor subunit (KA2), and LHRH fibers in the ME expressed KA2 (34). Therefore, NMDA receptor-mediated activation of the LHRH neuronal system seems to occur indirectly through interneurons, rather than directly to LHRH neurons themselves. Moreover, preliminary data indicate that infusion of glutamate itself, as well as non-NMDA receptor agonists such as {alpha}-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid and kianate, at 0.01–1 µM into the S-ME, was even less effective in stimulating LHRH release than NMDA reported here (Kasuya and Terasawa, unpublished observation), even though it has been reported that systemic injection of kianate stimulates robust LH release (30). In fact, the consistency and effectiveness of infused glutamate and its receptor agonists in the S-ME are not even close to those of NPY (35, 36, 37). These results indicate that glutamate in the S-ME and glutamatergic input to the LHRH neurons (and to the LHRH neuroterminals, in particular) may not play a simple stimulatory role in enhancing LHRH release. Alternatively, it is possible that the effect of direct infusion of NMA in the S-ME on LHRH release is small, because LHRH neurons are under a tonic inhibitory influence by other neurons, such as GABA neurons (10, 11, 13) and NPY neurons (38). Additional experiments are necessary to substantiate these hypotheses.

Even though the LHRH neurosecretory system in prepubertal monkeys is less sensitive to NMA stimulation, the prepubertal monkey is clearly able to respond to this single bolus treatment. This finding is consistent with an earlier study in the prepubertal male monkey in which NMA was shown to trigger increases in LH concentrations (15), and also with an earlier study in our laboratory that evaluated the age-specific responsiveness of the LHRH neurosecretory system to electrical stimulation in the medial basal hypothalamus (8). In this latter study, electrical stimulation of the medial basal hypothalamus caused LHRH release for 20–40 min, with a short latency and an amplitude similar to that seen with NMA. However, with electrical stimulation, there was no difference in responsiveness among the pre-, early, and midpubertal stages of development. Perhaps the absence of age-related effects of electrical stimulation on LHRH release is attributable to the fact that electrical stimulation may depolarize LHRH neurons and neuroterminals directly. In contrast, NMA may stimulate the LHRH neuronal system through interneurons, interacting with other excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Connectivity between LHRH neurons and interneurons may undergo developmental changes.

Glutamate, the most dominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus (39), plays a significant role in the preovulatory LHRH surge (32). Activation of NMDA receptors stimulated LHRH release in prepubertal and pubertal animals (22, 40, 41) and resulted in precocious puberty in monkeys and rats (15, 16, 17, 18, 19), whereas administration of NMDA blockers delayed the timing of puberty in rats (21). Measurement of developmental changes in glutamate release in the female monkey indicated that glutamate concentrations in the S-ME were very low in prepubertal monkeys, strikingly increased in early pubertal monkeys, and then declined in midpubertal monkeys, although the glutamate levels in midpubertal monkeys were still much higher than those in prepubertal monkeys (11). Moreover, in prepubertal monkeys treated with antisense GAD, GABA release declined during the first 3 h after the initiation of the antisense treatment, whereas glutamate release was significantly elevated several hours after the initiation of the antisense infusion (11). The results of the present study further suggest that the sensitivity of the LHRH neurosecretory system to NMDA receptor activation is higher in pubertal monkeys than in prepubertal monkeys. Therefore, an increase in glutamate in the S-ME and changes in sensitivity to NMDA are both parts of the mechanism for the pubertal increase in pulsatile LHRH release at the early stage of puberty, after the decrease in GABA release in the S-ME occurs at the onset of puberty.

It has been documented that excess exposure to glutamate can result in neurotoxicity caused by an over influx of Ca2+ into the cell, predominantly through NMDA receptors (42). Because relatively high doses of NMDA have been used in the literature, we examined the effects of 1 and 10 mM NMA infusion into the S-ME on LHRH release in 2 pubertal monkeys and found that the results with higher doses of NMA did not differ from those of the lower doses. Subsequently, we kept track of any pathological signs of lesions in the brains of these monkeys, and we found that one of the two exhibited extreme obesity followed by delayed puberty with anovulation. Monkeys treated with NMA at 100 M or less or treated with iv injection of NMA did not exhibit any signs of abnormality.

The results of the present and previous studies (8) clearly indicate that the LHRH neurosecretory system is mature before the onset of puberty. A decrease in tonic inhibition of the LHRH neurosecretory system by GABA neurons triggers the cascade of events associated with puberty in female rhesus monkeys (9, 10, 12). An increase in glutamate release occurs shortly after the reduction in GABA inhibition; and increases in the activity of other excitatory neurons, such as NE and NPY neurons (37, 43), may follow. Further studies, to elucidate the mechanism involved in the decrease in tonic inhibition followed by the increase in excitatory mechanism, will clarify the timing of the mechanism controlling the onset of puberty.


    Acknowledgments
 
We would like to express our appreciation to Harold M. Pape for excellent animal care; to W. Daniel Houser, D.V.M., Carol Emerson, D.V.M., and Dennis J. Mohr for veterinary care and surgical assistance; to Frederick H. Wegner for assistance with RIA; and to Marla Gearing, Ph.D., Andrea C. Gore, Ph.D., Michael J. Woller, Ph.D., and Laurelee Luchansky for their very generous assistance and cooperation with various procedures critical to the conduct of this study. We also thank Terry M. Nett, Ph.D. (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO), for kindly providing LHRH antiserum Rl245.


    Footnotes
 
1 This study (publication number 39–002 from the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center) was supported by NIH Grants HD-11533, HD-15433, and RR-00167. Back

2 Present address: Contraceptive Research and Development Program, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 1611 North Kent Street, Arlington, Virginia 22209. Back

3 Present address: Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University, School of Medicine, 2–2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan. Back

4 Present address: Parker College of Chiropractic, 2500 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, Texas 75229. Back

Received June 21, 1999.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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