Acetylcholine, Melatonin, and Potassium Depolarization Stimulate Release of Luteinizing Hormone-releasing Hormone from Rat Hypothalamus in Vitro

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 1982 Apr 1

PMID 7045869

Citations 9

Authors

S B Richardson

J A Prasad

C S HOLLANDER

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We have examined the release of radioimmunoassayable luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) from fragments of rat medial basal hypothalamus. These fragments were cultured overnight in medium containing serum and then preincubated in groups of three for 10 min in medium resembling cerebrospinal fluid in its electrolyte constituents and containing bacitracin. This was followed by 30-min incubation periods during which some of the hypothalami were exposed to test substances. Potassium depolarization, effected by the addition of 56 mM potassium chloride to the incubation medium, caused a marked stimulation in LH-RH release, but only in the presence of calcium. Acetylcholine at 10 nM and the parasympathomimetic anticholinesterase agent neostigmine at 1 microM markedly stimulated LH-RH release. Hexamethonium, a nicotinic antagonist, at 1 microM abolished the acetylcholine-induced increment in LH-RH release. Melatonin, a pineal indolamine, caused significant stimulation of LH-RH release at a concentration as low as 10 nM. Bacitracin (21 microM) was employed in all these experiments. It had no effect on LH-RH release but did prevent the degradation of LH-RH in this system. We conclude that acetylcholine and melatonin are capable of inducing LH-RH release from the rat medial basal hypothalamus. These actions may account for some of the progonadotropic properties previously ascribed to these agents.

Citing Articles

Cholinergic Control of GnRH Neuron Physiology and Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Male Mice: Involvement of ACh/GABA Cotransmission.

Vastagh C, Farkas I, Csillag V, Watanabe M, Kallo I, Liposits Z J Neurosci. 2024; 44(12).

PMID: 38320853 PMC: 10957212. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1780-23.2024.

Acetylcholine regulation of GnRH neuronal activity: A circuit in the medial septum.

Shostak D, Constantin S, Flannery J, Wray S Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023; 14:1147554.

PMID: 36950690 PMC: 10025473. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1147554.

Effect of Central Injection of Neostigmine on the Bacterial Endotoxin Induced Suppression of GnRH/LH Secretion in Ewes during the Follicular Phase of the Estrous Cycle.

Herman A, Skipor J, Krawczynska A, Bochenek J, Wojtulewicz K, Pawlina B Int J Mol Sci. 2019; 20(18).

PMID: 31533319 PMC: 6769544. DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184598.

Peripheral Inhibitor of AChE, Neostigmine, Prevents the Inflammatory Dependent Suppression of GnRH/LH Secretion during the Follicular Phase of the Estrous Cycle.

Herman A, Skipor J, Krawczynska A, Bochenek J, Wojtulewicz K, Antushevich H Biomed Res Int. 2017; 2017:6823209.

PMID: 28894751 PMC: 5574266. DOI: 10.1155/2017/6823209.

Altered Expression of Genes Encoding Neurotransmitter Receptors in GnRH Neurons of Proestrous Mice.

Vastagh C, Rodolosse A, Solymosi N, Liposits Z Front Cell Neurosci. 2016; 10:230.

PMID: 27774052 PMC: 5054603. DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00230.

References

Fraschini F, Mess B, Martini L . Pineal gland, melatonin and the control of luteinizing hormone secretion. Endocrinology. 1968; 82(5):919-24. DOI: 10.1210/endo-82-5-919. View

Krnjevic K . Central cholinergic pathways. Fed Proc. 1969; 28(1):113-20. View

Benedetti W, Lozdziejsky R, Sala M, Monti J, GRINO E . Blockade of ovulation after atropine implants in the lateral hypothalamus of the rat. Experientia. 1969; 25(11):1158-9. DOI: 10.1007/BF01900248. View

Malaisse-Lagae F, Malaisse W . The stimulus-secretion coupling of glucose-induced insulin release. 3. Uptake of 45 calcium by isolated islets of Langerhans. Endocrinology. 1971; 88(1):72-80. DOI: 10.1210/endo-88-1-72. View

Roche J, Foster D, Karsch F, Dziuk P . Effect of castration and infusion of melatonin on levels of luteinizing hormone in sera and pituitaries of ewes. Endocrinology. 1970; 87(6):1205-10. DOI: 10.1210/endo-87-6-1205. View

Peat F, KINSON G . Testicular steroidogeneis in vitro in the rat in response to blinding, pinealectomy and to the addition of melatonin. Steroids. 1971; 17(2):251-64. DOI: 10.1016/s0039-128x(71)80128-9. View

Nett T, Akbar A, Niswender G, Hedlund M, White W . A radioimmunoassay for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) in serum. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1973; 36(5):880-5. DOI: 10.1210/jcem-36-5-880. View

Green A, Koslow S, Costa E . Identification and quantitation of a new indolealkylamine in rat hypothalamus. Brain Res. 1973; 51:371-4. DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(73)90392-2. View

Libertun C, Timiras P, KRAGT C . Sexual differences in the hypothalamic cholinergic system before and after puberty: inductory effect of testosterone. Neuroendocrinology. 1973; 12(2):73-85. DOI: 10.1159/000122157. View

10.

Hirata F, HAYAISHI O, Tokuyama T, Seno S . In vitro and in vivo formation of two new metabolites of melatonin. J Biol Chem. 1974; 249(4):1311-3. View

11.

Reiter R, Vaughan M, Vaughan G . Melatonin action on the time course of compensatory ovarian hypertrophy in the Swiss-Webster mouse. Int J Fertil. 1972; 17(1):59-62. View

12.

Kamberi I . The role of brain monoamines and pineal indoles in the secretion of gonadotrophins and gonadotrophin-releasing factors. Prog Brain Res. 1973; 39:261-80. DOI: 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)64083-2. View

13.

Reiter R, Vaughn M, Blask D, Johnson L . Melatonin: its inhibition of pineal antigonadotrophic activity in male hamsters. Science. 1974; 185(4157):1169-71. DOI: 10.1126/science.185.4157.1169. View

14.

Simonovic I, Motta M, Martini L . Acetylcholine and the release of the follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor. Endocrinology. 1974; 95(5):1373-9. DOI: 10.1210/endo-95-5-1373. View

15.

Koslow S, Racagni G, Costa E . Mass fragmentographic measurement of norepinephrine dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine in seven discrete nuclei of the rat tel-diencephalon. Neuropharmacology. 1974; 13(12):1123-30. DOI: 10.1016/0028-3908(74)90062-8. View

16.

Rodbard D, Frazier G . Statistical analysis of radioligand assay data. Methods Enzymol. 1975; 37:3-22. DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(75)37003-1. View

17.

FISKE V, Macdonald G, Bigelow L, Altschule M . Estrogen and progesterone secretion in monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) following melatonin or Altschule's pineal extrac. Fertil Steril. 1975; 26(6):613-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)41181-7. View

18.

Bennett G, Edwardson J, Holland D, Jeffcoate S, White N . Release of immunoreactive luteinising hormone-releasing hormone and thyrotrophin-releasing hormone from hypothalamus. Nature. 1975; 257(5524):323-5. DOI: 10.1038/257323a0. View

19.

Orts R, Kocan K, Wilson I . Inhibitory action of melatonin on a pineal antigonadotropin. Life Sci. 1975; 17(6):845-50. DOI: 10.1016/0024-3205(75)90434-8. View

20.

Reiter R, Blask D, Vaughan M . A counter antigonadotrophic effect of melatonin in male rats. Neuroendocrinology. 1975; 19(1):72-80. DOI: 10.1159/000122427. View