Mechanism of the selective surge of follicle-stimulating hormone in dioestrous rats during the induction of ovulation by human chorionic gonadotrophin.

A selective surge of FSH with a small concomitant rise in LH occurred invariably in rats when ovulation was induced by injecting human chorionic gonadtrophin (HCG) at various reproductive stages such as day 15 of lactation and in 29-day-old immature rats as well as in dioestrous animals. No FSH surge occurred on day 3 of lactation or in 26-day-old immature rats in which ovulation could not be induced by HCG. The FSH surge occurred 6-18 h after HCG treatment regardless of the time of day of injection of HCG. Ovulation began by 12 h and was completed by 18 h after injection of HCG. Pituitary responsiveness to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH-RH) with respect to FSH release strikingly incresed at 01.00 h on day 1 after HCG injection at 17.00 h of dioestrus (day 0) to levels similar to those of the group at 01.00 h of oestrus, when the greatest response was noted during the normal cycle. With regard to LH release pituitary responsiveness to LH-RH at 01.00 h on day 1 markedly increased but the response was only about half of the response at 01.00 h of oestrus and one third of the response at 17.00 h of pro-oestrus when the greatest response was noted during the normal oestrous cycle. These results indicate that during ovulation the pituitary gland of the rat is highly responsive to LH-RH with respect to the release of FSH, for which secretory changes in the ovary after an ovulating dose of HCG may be responsible.