Melatonin inhibition of GnRH-induced LH release from neonatal rat gonadotroph: involvement of Ca2+ not cAMP

J. Vanecek and D. C. Klein Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. Melatonin inhibits gonadotropin-releasing hormone-induced release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the neonatal rat gonadotrophs. The second messenger involved is not known, although there are several candidates, including adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and intracellular free Ca2+. The present study addresses the question of which second messenger mediates melatonin inhibition of LH release. We found that the effect of melatonin was not prevented by cAMP protagonists, including 8-bromo-cAMP, dibutyryl cAMP, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and forskolin. However, treatments that enhanced Ca2+ influx masked the effects of melatonin, and treatments that blocked Ca2+ influx mimicked the effects of melatonin. Moreover, melatonin decreased K(+)-induced LH release, which is dependent on Ca2+ influx but did not block release of LH due to thapsigargin-induced mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. These findings indicate that melatonin inhibits gonadotropin-releasing hormone-induced LH release, primarily through an action involving inhibition of Ca2+ influx, and that cAMP does not seem to be involved in this effect of melatonin.