Effects of hypothalamic extract and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate on follicle-stimulating hormone production in the rat adenohypophysis in vitro.

An assay system, using the characteristic migration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on polyacrylamide gels, was developed to evaluate the effects of hypothalamic factors on amino acid incorporation into FSH in the rat adenohypophysis incubated in vitro. Follicle-stimulating hormone extracted from rat pituitary secretory granules was found to migrate on 7-5% polyacrylamide gels, pH 9-5, as a protein with an Rf of 0-614. The characteristic Rf was used to measure [14C]amino acid incorpotation into FSH in rat adenohypophyses in vitro. Follicle-stimulating hormone synthesis increased after addition of crude hypothalamic extract to the incubation medium. Hormone synthesis was also increased three times after the addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP.