Antiovulatory Doses of Antagonists of LH-RH Inhibit LH and Progesterone but not FSH and Estradiol Release

The differential regulation of immunoactive FSH and LH secretion by endogenous LH‐RH was studied using LH‐RH antagonists (Ac‐D‐Trp1,2, D‐Cpa2, D‐Lys6, D‐Ala10LH‐RH (MI‐1544) and (Ac‐D‐Nal1, D‐Phe(pCI2), D‐Trp3, D‐Cit6, D‐Ala10LH‐RH (SB‐030) in ovariecto‐mized (OVX) and regularly cycling rats. Single injections of 10 μg and 100 μg doses and long‐term treatment with 10 μg doses of MI‐1544 were used in OVX animals. Serum and pituitary LH and FSH, as well as serum estradiol and progesterone was determined by RIA during and/or after the treatment. Single injections of MI‐1544 in OVX animals caused prompt (in 2 h) and long‐lasting (for more than 24 h) suppression of the serum LH, while no or late decrease (after more than 6 h) of the serum FSH. Long‐term treatment with the same analog decreased the serum LH (by 50%) and moderately increased the pituitary LH (by 21%) but did not change the serum and the pituitary FSH concentrations. In normal rats, long‐term treatment with both of our analogs also resulted in divergent alterations in the LH and FSH concentrations. Serum LH dropped to undetectable levels, while serum FSH did not change significantly. Pituitary LH increased (by 31 to 41%), while FSH decreased (by 27 to 38%). Marked depression was found in the serum progesterone (by 64%) but no significant change in the serum estradiol levels, after the long‐term treatment for 21 days. The ovarian cycles were interrupted, and no ovulation appeared during the treatment. Significant decrease was detectable in the weight of the ovaries (by 46%), whereas the weight of the uteri did not change or slightly elevated (by 22%), after the treatment with SB‐030 or MI‐1544, respectively. The clear antagonistic effect of the analogs on the LH‐RH‐stimulated LH and FSH release was tested in the in vitro superfused rat pituitary cell system. In this system our analogs provented both the LH‐and the FSH‐releasing effect of the LH‐RH. The inhibitory effect was longer‐lasting on the FSH than on the LH release. Our studies give evidences that the long‐term treatment with antiovulatory doses of LH‐RH antagonists suppress the LH and progesterone but not the FSH and estradiol secretion and indirectly support the earlier publications suggesting the presence of FSH‐releasing factor(s) in the CNS.