Pituitary and ovarian luteinizing hormone releasing hormone receptors during the estrous cycle, pregnancy and lactation in the rat.

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were decapitated at various stages of the estrous cycle, pregnancy, lactation and following ovariectomy. Anterior pituitary and ovarian tissues were collected and assayed to quantify luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) receptors. No changes were noted in receptor affinity either between tissues or physiological stages studied. Pituitary LHRH receptor concentrations and content were greater (P less than 0.05) during diestrus II and proestrus than during estrus. Pituitary LHRH receptor concentrations and content during pregnancy were not different from those during estrus, however, a significant decrease was noted in pituitary LHRH receptor content and concentrations during lactation compared to estrus. Ovarian LHRH receptor content did not change with stage of reproduction (P less than 0.05). There was, however, a decrease (P less than 0.05) in ovarian LHRH receptor concentrations at Week 3 of pregnancy and Week 1 of lactation which was possibly due to the increase ovarian weight noted at both these physiological stages. There was no correlation (P less than 0.1) between ovarian and pituitary LHRH receptor numbers (r = 0.096). These findings suggest that the internal mechanisms which control changes in pituitary LHRH receptor numbers do not control ovarian LHRH receptor numbers.