Does the type II glucocorticoid receptor mediate cortisol-induced suppression in pituitary responsiveness to gonadotropin-releasing hormone?

Stress-like elevations in plasma cortisol suppress LH pulse amplitude in ovariectomized ewes by inhibiting pituitary responsiveness to GnRH. Here we sought to identify the receptor mediating this effect. In a preliminary experiment GnRH and LH pulses were monitored in ovariectomized ewes treated with cortisol plus spironolactone, which antagonizes the type I mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), or with cortisol plus RU486, which antagonizes both the type II glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the progesterone receptor (PR). Cortisol alone reduced LH pulse amplitude, but not pulsatile GnRH secretion, indicating that it reduced pituitary responsiveness to endogenous GnRH. RU486, but not spironolactone, reversed this suppression. We next tested whether RU486 reverses the inhibitory effect of cortisol on pituitary responsiveness to exogenous GnRH pulses of fixed amplitude, frequency, and duration. Hourly GnRH pulses were delivered to ovariectomized ewes in which endogenous GnRH pulses were blocked by estradiol during seasonal anestrus. Cortisol alone reduced the amplitude of LH pulses driven by the exogenous GnRH pulses. RU486, but not an antagonist of PR (Organon 31710), prevented this suppression. Thus, the efficacy of RU486 in blocking the suppressive effect of cortisol is attributed to antagonism of GR, not PR. Together, these observations imply that the type II GR mediates cortisol-induced suppression of pituitary responsiveness to GnRH.