Prolonged combined in vivo pre-treatment with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) and oestradiol benzoate causes long-lasting suppression of the autonomous and the LRH-stimulated secretion of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. An in vitro study.

The effect of a combined in vivo pre-treatment with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) and oestradiol benzoate (EB) on the autonomous and the 'supra-maximally' LRH-stimulated in vitro release of LH and FSH by pituitary glands of 2 weeks ovariectomized (OVX) rats was studied using a perifusion system. The concentration of LRH in the perifusion medium was 1 microgram/ml. Pre-treatment with LRH during 6 days was effected by means of sc implanted Alzet osmotic minipumps (MP). Control rats received a piece of silastic with the dimensions of a minipump ('sham-pump'; Sh-P). EB, 3 micrograms/injection or solvent (arachis oil) was sc injected on days-3 and -1 (day of perifusion: day 0). Of the pituitary glands of EB-injected, Sh-P-implanted rats both the autonomous and the LRH-stimulated secretion of LH and the LRH-stimulated secretion of FSH were significantly higher than those of the oil-injected, Sh-P-implanted rats without EB administration. Pretreatment with LRH for 6 days had a suppressing effect on the autonomous and the LRH-induced depletion of the pituitary LH and FSH stores. In combination with EB, the suppressing effect of LRH pre-treatment on the LRH-stimulated secretion of LH and FSH was still greater: the pituitary gland appeared to be fixed in a relatively unresponsive state with very low autonomous LH and FSH secretion. It is discussed that increase of pituitary LRH-responsiveness due to EB demands withdrawal of the pituitary gland from the influence of LRH, an effect which is in vivo achieved by the negative feedback of oestrogen on the hypothalamus.