Specific luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone receptor binding sites in hippocampus and pituitary: an autoradiographical study.

Using the iodinated luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone analogue [D-Ala6, N alpha MeLeu7, Pro9 NEt]-luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone as radioligand, specific binding sites have been visualized in the rat both in the pituitary and the hippocampal formation of the brain. In the hippocampus, the CA1, CA2 and particularly CA3 regions were heavily labelled. These hippocampal sites have a pharmacological specificity resembling that of luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone receptors in pituitary homogenates and could therefore represent true luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone receptors. The luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone superagonist [D-Ala6, Pro9 NEt]-luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone and the potent antagonist [D-pGlu1, D-Phe2, D-Trp3,6]-luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone were highly potent in displacing the iodinated luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone analogue. The weak agonist [Gln8]-luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone, however, was at least two orders of magnitude less potent. Somatostatin was inactive. Hippocampal luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone receptors were species-specific, being present in the rat but not in the mouse, guinea-pig, hamster, rabbit and human brains. In order to identify the cellular location of these hippocampal receptors, various lesions were performed. Electrolytic lesions of the septal afferents did not reveal any receptor density change. Colchicine as well as kainic acid injections did, however, reduce considerably the number of hippocampal receptors. Interestingly, in the electrolytically and kainic-acid-lesioned animals, the appearance of non-displaceable luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone binding sites within a well-defined area corresponding to the lesioned, gliosis-rich area was observed. The present results suggest the presence of pharmacologically specific, species-dependent, luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone receptors located, at least partly, on intrinsic hippocampal neurons, in particular granule and pyramidal cells.