Brann D W, Mahesh V B
Department of Physiology and Endocrinology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3000.
FASEB J. 1991 Sep;5(12):2691-8. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.5.12.1655548.
Corticosteroids, ACTH, and stress can exert inhibitory and facilitory effects on reproduction. The purpose of this review is to reconcile the divergent effects of corticosteroids on gonadotropin secretion based on recent work in the area. Whether stimulation or inhibition of gonadotropin secretion is observed appears to depend on two important variables: 1) length of exposure, and 2) background of estrogen priming. The acute administration of ACTH and certain corticosteroids to estrogen-primed animals brings about the release of LH and FSH. Corticosteroids have also been shown by some investigators to cause selective release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) both in vitro and in vivo. This selective facilitation of FSH release by corticosteroids may explain many deleterious effects on reproduction observed after adrenalectomy, and it may have relevance in explaining the beneficial effects of corticosteroids in inducing ovulation in anovulatory patients suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome. Finally, evidence is presented which suggests that adrenal steroids may participate in initiation and synchronization of the preovulatory LH and FSH surge, as well as the secondary FSH surge seen on estrus in the rat.
皮质类固醇、促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）和应激可对生殖产生抑制和促进作用。本综述的目的是根据该领域的最新研究成果，协调皮质类固醇对促性腺激素分泌的不同影响。观察到的促性腺激素分泌是受到刺激还是抑制，似乎取决于两个重要变量：1）暴露时间长短，以及2）雌激素预处理的背景。对经雌激素预处理的动物急性给予ACTH和某些皮质类固醇会导致促黄体生成素（LH）和促卵泡生成素（FSH）的释放。一些研究人员还表明，皮质类固醇在体外和体内均可导致促卵泡生成素（FSH）的选择性释放。皮质类固醇对FSH释放的这种选择性促进作用可能解释了肾上腺切除术后观察到的许多对生殖的有害影响，并且可能与解释皮质类固醇在诱导患有多囊卵巢综合征的无排卵患者排卵方面的有益作用有关。最后，有证据表明肾上腺类固醇可能参与排卵前LH和FSH峰的启动和同步，以及在大鼠发情期出现的继发性FSH峰。
