The relationship between gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated luteinizing hormone release and inositol phosphate production: studies with calcium antagonists and protein kinase C activators

The coupling between GnRH-stimulated phosphoinositide (PI) turnover and LH release has been investigated in rat pituitary cell cultures. Accumulation of [3H]inositol phosphates ([3H]IPs) formed by hydrolysis of PIs was measured in cells that had been preloaded with [3H]myo-inositol. GnRH stimulated both LH release and incorporation of [3H]inositol into total [3H]IPs with similar dose and time dependencies. [3H] IP production in response to GnRH could be blocked by a GnRH antagonist, but was stimulated by a compound that provokes receptor microaggregation. GnRH-stimulated IP production persisted in the presence of either the Ca2+ channel blocker D600 or the calmodulin antagonist pimozide at concentrations that reduced LH release to 60% and 20% of control, respectively. Stimulated [3H]IP production was inhibited at higher concentrations of D600. In 1-h incubations, GnRH-stimulated [3H]IP production, but not LH release, was markedly inhibited by the protein kinase C activators phorbol myristate acetate and 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol. These findings indicate that in the gonadotrope, GnRH-stimulated LH release and [3H]IP production are closely coupled to receptor activation by an agonist; Ca2+ antagonists uncouple stimulated LH release from [3H]IP production; and protein kinase C activators uncouple stimulated PI turnover from LH release. Thus, GnRH-stimulated production of PI metabolites, as measured by [3H]IP accumulation, is apparently not sufficient to support LH release in the absence of Ca2+. In addition, GnRH-stimulated LH release is apparently not dependent on full expression of the PI response.     

Dependency of phorbol ester-induced gonadotropin secretion on estradiol

Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), which activates protein kinase C (PKC) was used to investigate the estradiol dependency of PKC-stimulated luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion from perifused anterior pituitaries. Infusions of PMA stimulated LH secretion from diestrous II, ovariectomized + estradiol-treated, and orchidectomized + estradiol-treated quartered pituitaries, by protein synthesis-dependent mechanisms. In contrast, pituitaries from intact, orchidectomized males, or ovariectomized females were unresponsive to PMA. Interestingly, dispersed male pituitary cells differed from male pituitary tissue blocks, in that the dispersed cells responded to PMA with increased LH secretion. These results indicate that PKC's ability to directly stimulate LH secretion is dependent on de novo protein synthesis and estradiol. Moreover, the effects of estradiol on PKC-stimulated secretion form at least one basis for the estradiol-induced increased responsiveness of gonadotrophs to GnRH. Additionally, it appears that dispersed pituitary cells may not respond to activators of PKC in a physiological manner.     

Development of gonadotrope desensitization to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and recovery are not coupled to inositol phosphate production or GnRH receptor number.

After initial GnRH pretreatment (10 nM, 5 h), subsequent GnRH-stimulated LH release from the gonadotrope was diminished (1 microM GnRH stimulated release of 36.4 +/- 1.4% total cellular LH over 3 h in cells initially pretreated with medium alone compared to 27.4 +/- 1.2% in GnRH-pretreated cells); however, inositol phosphate (IP) production in response to the releasing hormone remained unaffected (1 microM GnRH provoked IP accumulation of 161 +/- 9% above basal levels after 45 min in control cells and 162 +/- 11% in GnRH-pretreated cells). Pretreatment of pituitary cell cultures with NaF (a guanyl nucleotide binding protein activator, 10 mM, 3 h) also decreased subsequent GnRH-stimulated LH release, and in addition, provoked a decrease in GnRH receptor number, an increase in GnRH receptor affinity, reduction of GnRH-stimulated IP production to basal levels, and an increase in the amount of LH released in response to stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187. In order to determine if the changes in LH release were a result of decreased IP production and/or decreased GnRH receptor binding, the time course of recovery to control levels of these processes was assessed. GnRH receptor binding continued to decrease after NaF pretreatment, reaching a nadir (62% of control) at 6 h after the pretreatment period and recovering at 48 h (90% of control). In contrast, GnRH-provoked IP accumulation did not return to control levels even after 48 h of recovery after NaF pretreatment (1 microM GnRH-stimulated IP accumulation in NaF-pretreated cells was 57% compared to control cells after 48 h of recovery). GnRH-stimulated LH release was inhibited immediately after NaF pretreatment (1 microM GnRH-stimulated LH release in NaF-pretreated cells was 65% of control levels). Cells began to recover within 3 h (80% of control) and were almost completely recovered by 6 h (90% of control). A23187-provoked LH release was enhanced immediately after NaF pretreatment (30 microM A23187-stimulated LH release in NaF-pretreated cells was 170% of control levels). Responsiveness to ionophore was 133% of control by 0.5 h, and complete recovery was measured within 1 h (100% of control). Furthermore, both NaF and GnRH pretreatment still provoked a decrease in gonadotrope responsiveness when IP production was inhibited by the phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122. The results suggest that the development of gonadotrope desensitization (by either NaF or GnRH pretreatment) can be uncoupled from changes in IP production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Calcium signaling and gonadotropin secretion.

Agonist activation of pituitary gonadotrophs by gonadotropinreleasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates rapid InsP(3)-dependent peaks of calcium mobilization and luteinizing hormone (LH) release, followed by sustained increases in calcium-influx and hormone secretion. Receptor-mediated calcium entry through L-type and dihydropyridine-itisensitive calcium channels accounts for the sustained elevation of cytosolic calcium during GnRH action, and for most of the gonadotropin secretory response. Protein kinase C contributes to the phase of sustained LH release from GnRH-stimulated gonadotrophs, and also to gonadotropin synthesis. Calcium-dependent inactivation of L channels occurs during GnRH action, and appears to be a primary factor in the onset of desensitization of gonadotropin secretion.     

Attenuation of pituitary polyphosphoinositide metabolism by protein kinase C activation

Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulates pituitary hormone release by activating protein kinase C (PKC). By doing so, PMA mimics the diacylglycerol (DAG) produced by the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). The present study demonstrates that PMA and DAG augment prolactin release and attenuate the elevations of inositol phosphates (IPX) elicited by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), angiotensin II, neurotensin, bombesin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in normal anterior pituitary and prolactin-secreting 7315a tumor cells. 4 alpha-Phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (PDD), an inactive analog of PMA, was found to have no effect on IPX levels; the PKC inhibitor H-7 attenuated the PMA-related inhibition of TRH-induced IPX. To examine whether PMA attenuates IPX generation or increases IPX metabolism, the effects of PMA on the levels of inositol phosphates and phosphoinositides were determined. TRH increased inositol trisphosphate, inositol bisphosphate and inositol monophosphate, and decreased PIP2 and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate levels. PMA had no effect on basal phosphoinositide or inositol phosphate levels, but attenuated the effects of TRH on these parameters. Thus PMA and DAG, by a mechanism involving PKC-mediated attenuation of secretagogue-induced hydrolysis of PIP2, decreases IPX production, and therefore PKC activation may exert negative feedback regulation on anterior pituitary secretory activity.     

Differences in gonadotropin-releasing hormone-induced calcium signaling between melatonin-sensitive and melatonin-insensitive neonatal rat gonadotrophs

The sensitivity of GnRH-stimulated calcium signaling to melatonin, in a subpopulation of neonatal gonadotrophs, is supposed to be attributable to melatonin receptors. However, it is not yet known whether the intracellular pathway for GnRH action in melatonin-sensitive cells is the same as in melatonin-insensitive cells. By monitoring intracellular Ca2+ changes as an outward current carried through apamin-sensitive Ca2+-activated K+ channels, we compared GnRH-induced calcium responses in these two subpopulations of neonatal gonadotrophs. GnRH induced various oscillatory, as well as nonoscillatory, responses in both cell types that was not related to melatonin sensitivity. Melatonin-sensitive GnRH-induced responses could be clearly distinguished according to the pharmacological properties of their latency. The latency increased in zero extracellular Ca2+ or with the addition of nifedipine, staurosporine, and ryanodine. This effect was only rarely observed in melatonin-insensitive cells. This indicates that there are two pathways for initiation of GnRH-induced calcium signaling in neonatal gonadotrophs. The first pathway is mediated by inositol 1,4,5,-trisphosphate production, whereas the second involves extracellular calcium entry through voltage-dependent L-type Ca2+ channels, protein kinase C activation, and Ca2+ release from a ryanodine-sensitive store, which may coactivate Ca2+ release from an inositol 1,4,5,-trisphosphate-sensitive store. Only the second mechanism is accessible to inhibition by melatonin.     

Enhanced responsiveness of gonadotropes after protein kinase-C activation: postreceptor regulation of gonadotropin releasing hormone action

GnRH stimulates the release of LH from pituitary gonadotropes in a Ca2+-and calmodulin-dependent manner. Although GnRH also appears to activate protein kinase-C in gonadotropes, the role of this enzyme in GnRH action remains undetermined. In the present work we have assessed the effect of pretreatment of pituitary cell cultures with a protein kinase-C-activating phorbol ester on gonadotrope responsiveness to GnRH. Pretreatment for 6 h with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) reduced the EC50 for GnRH-stimulated LH release approximately 8-fold without altering the maximum proportion of total cellular LH release. This increase in the potency of GnRH occurred in the absence of any measurable change in receptor affinity. Subsequent studies revealed that PMA pretreatment did not alter the EC50 for GnRH-stimulated [3H]inositol phosphate accumulation (an indicator of phosphoinositide hydrolysis), but did cause a modest reduction (approximately 2-fold) in the EC50 for LH release in response to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and the Ca2+ channel-activating compound maitotoxin. These observations demonstrate that the efficiency of coupling of the GnRH receptor to LH release can be regulated at a postreceptor locus by activation of protein kinase-C and that an increased responsiveness of Ca2+-regulated effector systems to mobilized Ca2+ appears to contribute to the observed effect.     

Sodium fluoride provokes gonadotrope desensitization to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotrope sensitization to A23187: evidence for multiple G proteins in GnRH action.

Pretreatment of pituitary cell cultures with GnRH causes altered gonadotrope responsiveness to LH secretagogues. The precise mechanism by which this occurs is not understood. Because a G protein appears to be activated after GnRH stimulation of the gonadotrope, a role for this moiety in GnRH-stimulated alterations in gonadotrope responsiveness was assessed. We show that 3 h pretreatment of pituitary cell cultures with 10 mM NaF (a G protein activator), resulted in decreased gonadotrope responsiveness to subsequent GnRH treatment (3 h, 100 nM; 34.4 +/- 1.6% vs. 23.4 +/- 1.5% of total cellular LH). NaF-provoked gonadotrope desensitization to GnRH also occurred in the presence of 3 mM EGTA and in cells which had been depleted of protein kinase C. Desensitization to GnRH did not occur in response to pretreatment with (Bu)2cAMP (8 h, 1 mM). In addition, neither GnRH nor NaF stimulated inositol phosphate production above basal levels after the NaF pretreatment. GnRH receptor binding also decreased by 30% with NaF pretreatment. In contrast, 3 h NaF (10 mM) pretreatment enhanced responsiveness of the gonadotrope to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 in a protein kinase C- and cAMP-dependent manner. Responsiveness to the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, was also increased, whereas responsiveness to the Ca2+ channel activator maitotoxin was unchanged. These data suggest that G protein activation by NaF provokes gonadotrope desensitization to GnRH stimulation by both decreasing receptor numbers and by uncoupling of the receptors from inositol phosphate production. In addition, a distinct G protein action appears to be involved in sensitizing the gonadotrope to A23187 and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate.     

Divergent roles of protein kinase C in luteinizing hormone biosynthesis versus release in rat anterior pituitary cells.

We previously demonstrated that protein kinase C (PKC) activators, i.e. L-alpha-1,2-dioctanoyl glycerol (C8) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), mimic the stimulatory effects of GnRH on both LH glycosylation and release. To further evaluate the roles of PKC, we determined: 1) the interaction between PKC activator and GnRH; and 2) the effects of depleting cellular PKC with a high dose of PMA on LH glycosylation vs. release. Anterior pituitaries excised from ovariectomized rats were enzymatically dispersed and cultured. In series 1 experiments, day 3 monolayer cells were incubated in the presence of radiolabeled precursors and GnRH (0, 1, or 100 nM), with or without C8 (200 microM). In series 2 experiments, day 2 cells were pretreated with either PMA (1 microM) or vehicle (0.08% dimethyl sulfoxide) for 24 h and then incubated with diluent, GnRH (1 nM), or PMA (20 nM), and radiolabeled precursors for 4 h. LH translation and glycosylation were monitored by measuring incorporation of [14C]alanine ([14C]A) and [3H]glucosamine ([3H]GA), respectively, into LH. Immunoreactive LH (IRLH) was measured by RIA. In series 1 experiments, C8 increased basal release of IRLH, potentiated IRLH release stimulated by 1 nM GnRH, but not by 100 nM GnRH. C8 elevated total [3H]GA-LH but had no additive effects with GnRH. In series 2 experiments, PMA pretreatment inhibited subsequent PMA-stimulated IRLH release. However, PMA pretreatment did not affect GnRH-induced IRLH release even though PMA pretreatment decreased cellular IRLH content. In comparison, PMA pretreatment reduced both GnRH- and PMA-stimulated total [3H]GA-LH. PMA pretreatment had no effects on total [14C]A-LH in the presence of GnRH or PMA, but reduced the basal level. In summary, PKC activators had no additive effects on either IRLH release or LH glycosylation stimulated by a maximal dose of GnRH. However, PMA pretreatment decreased GnRH-induced LH glycosylation without depressing LH release. These results suggest differential roles of PKC in the actions of GnRH on LH glycosylation vs. LH release.     

Acute inhibitory effect of follicle-stimulating hormone-suppressing protein (FSP) on gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated gonadotropin secretion in cultured rat anterior pituitary cells

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-suppressing protein (FSP) or follistatin, a novel gonadal glycoprotein hormone, has been shown to have chronic inhibitory effects on the secretion of both FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in vitro. The present study was designed to investigate the acute effects of bovine FSP on GnRH-stimulated gonadotropin secretion and to examine the potential subcellular sites of this action of FSP using cultured pituitary cells. Anterior pituitaries from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were enzymatically dispersed and cultured for 48 h, after which the cells were treated with bovine FSP for 6 h, followed by a 4 h stimulation with secretagogues in the continued presence of FSP. Results showed that the 35 kDa form of bovine FSP (0.1-3 nM) dose-dependently suppressed GnRH-stimulated FSH and LH secretion, with inhibition of 38 and 25%, respectively, at 3 nM. In addition, FSP suppressed gonadotropin secretion in response to activators of protein kinase C (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and mezerein) and a calcium ionophore (A23187). However, FSP had no effect on gonadotropin secretion evoked by melittin, an activator of phospholipase A2. Furthermore, 35 kDa bovine FSP did not compete with GnRH for GnRH binding sites in a direct competition study and treatment of cultured pituitary cells with FSP (0.1-3 nM) for 10 h did not alter the number of GnRH binding sites on the cell membranes. Finally, similar inhibitory effects on gonadotropin secretion in response to GnRH, PMA and mezerein were obtained with the 31 and 39 kDa forms of bovine FSP, each at a concentration of 1 nM. We conclude from the present study that FSP acutely inhibits GnRH-stimulated gonadotropin secretion in cultured pituitary cells, and that FSP exerts its action beyond the GnRH receptor, possibly by affecting the protein kinase C and/or the calcium-calmodulin systems.     

Maintenance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-stimulated luteinizing hormone release despite desensitization of GnRH-stimulated cytosolic calcium responses.

Involvement of ionized cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) and protein kinase-C (PKC) in GnRH-stimulated LH release was assessed by correlating measurable changes in [Ca2+]i and LH release in PKC-depleted and nondepleted gonadotropes. Primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells were loaded with the calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2 and placed in a perifusion chamber. GnRH pulses were delivered to the cells, and changes in fura-2 fluorescence and LH release were determined. The level of [Ca2+]i (assessed by fura-2) increased rapidly to a maximum within 20-40 sec, followed by a slower decline over the next minute (spike phase) to a sustained intermediate value (plateau phase). GnRH-stimulated LH release was unaffected by loading cells with fura-2. Both LH release and changes in [Ca2+]i were directly dependent on GnRH concentration. Pretreatment with the GnRH antagonist Antide (50 nM; [NAcD2Nal1-DpClPhe2-D3Pal3-Ser4-NicLys5-++ +DNicLys6-Leu7-ILys8-Pro9-DAla10]NH2 ) had no effect on basal [Ca2+]i or basal LH release, but did block both GnRH-stimulated calcium mobilization and GnRH-stimulated LH release. GnRH pretreatment (3.5 nM; 10 min) blocked the calcium spike phase, but not the plateau phase occurring in response to a GnRH pulse (10 nM; 5 min) delivered immediately after pretreatment. Inhibition of the calcium spike phase was transient (recovery within 15 min) and was dependent on pretreatment concentrations of GnRH. Calcium spike phase inhibition by GnRH pretreatment prevented increased LH release from PKC-depleted cells in response to a subsequent pulse of GnRH, but not from gonadotropes with normal levels of PKC. This suggests that initial LH release is dependent on changes in [Ca2+]i, but enhancement of LH release after periods of elevated GnRH concentrations may be dependent on PKC.     

Stimulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) release and phospholipid breakdown by guanosine triphosphate in permeabilized pituitary gonadotropes: antagonist action suggests association of a G protein and gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor

The stimulation of gonadotropin release from pituitary cell cultures by GnRH has been linked to inositol phospholipid breakdown to diacylglycerols and subsequent activation of protein kinase C as well as Ca2+ mobilization. In order to examine the means of receptor coupling to a phospholipase C-type reaction, we evaluated the role of guanine nucleotides in inositol phospholipid breakdown. In these studies ATP (50 microM) was used for cell permeabilization to allow guanine nucleotides access to the intracellular compartment. Under these conditions GTP and the GTP analog, guanylylimidodiphosphate (GMP-PNP), stimulated a time- and dose-dependent increase in LH release and inositol phosphate accumulation. These actions of GTP and GMP-PNP were not observed unless ATP was included in the treatment media. Other closely related nucleotides and nucleosides alone, or in the presence of ATP, did not elevate LH release above basal levels. We also evaluated the actions of pertussis toxin and cholera toxin on mediating the effect of GTP, GMP-PNP, and GnRH on LH release and inositol phosphate accumulation. After treatment with these agents, no changes were observed in the ability of GnRH, GTP, or GMP-PNP to stimulate either LH release or inositol phosphate accumulation. The additional observation that GnRH-, GTP-, or GMP-PNP-stimulated LH release and inositol phosphate accumulation were blocked by a potent GnRH antagonist suggests that a G protein is functionally associated with the GnRH receptor recognition site.     

Synthesis and release of luteinizing hormone by rat anterior pituitary cells: effects of cytochalasins B and D

We determined the role of microfilaments in regulating LH synthesis (translation or glycosylation) and release from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells under basal and GnRH-stimulated conditions. Cells were pretreated for 2 h with microfilament-disrupting drugs, cytochalasin B (CB; 2 and 20 microM) or cytochalasin D (CD; 1 and 10 microM). LH synthesis and release were measured after 4 h of incubation with or without 1 nM GnRH and drugs. LH translation and glycosylation were monitored by measuring the incorporation of [14C]alanine and [3H]glucosamine, respectively, into total (cell and medium) immunoprecipitable LH. Immunoreactive LH (IRLH) in medium and cells was measured by RIA. GnRH at 1 nM significantly (P less than 0.01) increased the release of IRLH and total [3H]LH (glycosylation), but had no effect on total [14C]LH (translation), uptake, or incorporation of precursors into total protein. Neither CB (2 and 20 microM) nor CD (10 microM) altered basal or GnRH-stimulated IRHL release. Neither drug altered basal medium concentrations of [3H]LH or [14C]LH. In contrast, both CB and CD reduced (P less than 0.01) GnRH-stimulated [3H]LH in the medium and total system (LH glycosylation). CB reduced (P less than 0.01) [3H]glucosamine uptake, total [3H]protein synthesis, and basal level of total [3H]LH, while CD had no effects on these parameters. Thus, CD exerted a more specific inhibitory effect on GnRH-stimulated LH glycosylation than CB. CB (2 and 20 microM) increased (P less than 0.01), while CD (10 microM) decreased (P less than 0.01) [14C]alanine uptake, total [14C]LH, and [14C]protein under both basal and GnRH-stimulated conditions. These results demonstrated that while the cytochalasins did not inhibit either basal or GnRH-stimulated IRLH release, they did inhibit GnRH-stimulated LH glycosylation, although the effect of CB was due partially to reduced [3H]glucosamine uptake. Integrity of microfilaments appears to be important for GnRH-enhanced LH glycosylation, but not for GnRH-enhanced LH release.     

Interactions of insulin-like growth factor-I, insulin and estradiol with GnRH-stimulated luteinizing hormone release from female rat gonadotrophs

BACKGROUND: It is well established that ovarian steroids modulate gonadotropin secretion from anterior pituitary cells. It has been speculated that insulin and IGF-I might influence gonadotropin secretion. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of IGF-I and estradiol alone, or combinations of IGF-I with insulin and estradiol on GnRH-stimulated LH release from female rat pituitary cells in serum-supplemented and serum-free culture conditions. METHODS: Pituitary cells were incubated for 24 h or 48 h with a series of increasing concentrations of IGF-I or estradiol and stimulated with 1 nmol/l GnRH for 3 h. To determine the interaction of IGF-I and estradiol on GnRH-stimulated LH secretion, cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of IGF-I and 100 pmol/l estradiol for 24 h. We also investigated the effects of combined treatment with IGF-I and insulin on GnRH-stimulated LH secretion. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that long-term IGF-I treatment (24 h) alone has a significant augmenting effect on GnRH-stimulated LH release in serum-free medium only, with a maximum at low concentrations (10 and 100 pmol/l). Estradiol significantly increased GnRH-induced LH release in a dose-dependent manner. The extent of GnRH-stimulated LH secretion by long-term estradiol treatment (24 h) was significantly greater in serum-supplemented (+42%) medium than in serum-free medium. Estradiol facilitated IGF-I-primed LH responses to GnRH in serum-free medium. In contrast, in serum-supplemented medium, the facilitating potential of estradiol was lower. We also found that, in GnRH-stimulated cells, LH release was augmented by insulin treatment, in contrast to quiescent cells that had been pretreated with 100 pmol/l IGF-I alone and 1 nmol/l insulin alone. CONCLUSIONS: IGF-I and to a lesser extent insulin stimulate GnRH-induced LH secretion from pituitary gonadotrophs. This action is enhanced by estradiol treatment of the cells. However, the well known stimulatory action of estradiol on LH secretion is dependent on the presence of growth factors.     

Estrogen modulated gonadotropin release in relation to gonadotropin-releasing-hormone (GnRH) and phorbol ester (PMA) actions in superfused rat pituitary cells

The involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in GnRH action is still a matter of controversy. We have conducted a comparative study of LH and FSH release in response to GnRH and to phorbol ester myristate acetate (PMA), an activator of PKC, by rat pituitary cells maintained in culture. The effect of E2 pretreatment coupled or not with PKC depletion was also studied. Different kinetics in the response of LH and FSH to GnRH were observed, suggesting that the intracellular pathways involved in the release process of the two hormones were somewhat different. Moreover, PMA (10 nM) stimulated LH release greatly and FSH release only slightly. Intracellular PKC depletion, obtained by a prolonged treatment (18 h) of the cells with PMA (1 microM), produced different results according to the endocrine status of the pituitary cells. GnRH (10 nM)-induced LH release was significantly decreased in PKC-depleted cells from proestrous females. For PKC-depleted cells from OVX females, it was decreased significantly only when cells had been pretreated by E2. These results suggest that the modulation of LH secretion by E2 involves PKC activation. FSH release was poorly stimulated by PMA; but, under any conditions, PKC depletion did not affect GnRH-induced FSH release.     

Dynamic actions of arachidonic acid and protein kinase C in pituitary stimulation by gonadotropin-releasing hormone

The relative contributions of arachidonic acid (AA)- and protein kinase C-dependent pathways during the immediate LH response to short term stimulation by GnRH were analyzed in perifused anterior pituitary cells cultured on Cytodex beads. The LH response to a 2-min pulse of 10 nM GnRH was biphasic, with a rapid increase to an initial peak, followed by a second peak or shoulder before the gradual return to baseline release. Retinal, which inhibits activation of protein kinase C, reduced the total LH response to GnRH by 35-40% and advanced the termination of the response, but did not alter the height, position, or rate of onset of the initial LH peak. In contrast, pretreatment with the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid decreased the total LH response to GnRH by 60%, reduced the magnitude and latency of the first LH peak, and shortened the duration of the response. Pretreatment with both retinal and nordihydroguaiaretic acid abolished the GnRH-induced LH release. Addition of 2-min pulses of AA induced LH responses of short duration that coincided with the first phase of GnRH-stimulated LH release. Application of 2-min pulses of either tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) or dioctanoyl glycerol generated LH responses with delayed onsets that corresponded to the second phase of the GnRH-induced response. The LH response to the combined action of AA and TPA approximated that induced by GnRH. These results suggest that mobilization and metabolism of AA are important in the rapid initial phase of the LH response to GnRH, and that activation of protein kinase C-dependent mechanisms participates in the maintenance of the LH response. During continuous perifusion with 10 nM GnRH, addition of 2-min pulses of 100 nM GnRH and 100 microM AA, but not 100 nM TPA, stimulated further increases in LH release. This suggests that during prolonged GnRH action, LH release is primarily maintained by protein kinase C-dependent mechanisms. The results of this study indicate that GnRH stimulation of LH release requires the coordinated actions of at least two major interrelated mechanisms, namely those activated by AA and/or its metabolites and those maintained by protein kinase C-dependent pathways.     

Interactions of ovarian steroids with pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide and GnRH in anterior pituitary cells

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) releases LH and FSH from anterior pituitary cells. Although this effect is relatively weak, it has a strong sensitizing action on GnRH-induced gonadotropin secretion. Here we investigated the possibility that ovarian steroids, which are well-known modulators of LH secretion, interact with PACAP and GnRH in pituitary gonadotrophs. Rat pituitary cells were treated for 48 h with vehicle, 1 nmol/l estradiol, 1 nmol/l estradiol + 100 nmol/l progesterone or 48 h with 1 nmol/l estradiol and 4 h with 100 nmol/l progesterone. The cells were stimulated for 3 h with 1 nmol/l GnRH or 100 nmol/l PACAP. Estradiol treatment alone enhanced basal as well as GnRH- or PACAP-stimulated LH secretion. LH release was facilitated by additional short-term progesterone treatment. Long-term treatment with estradiol and progesterone led to reduced LH responses to GnRH and PACAP. Neither treatment paradigms affected cAMP production. However, estradiol treatment led to enhanced cAMP accumulation in quiescent or GnRH-stimulated cells. PACAP-induced increases of cAMP production were inhibited by estradiol treatment. After 7-h preincubation with 10 nmol/l PACAP, cells responded with enhanced LH secretion to GnRH stimulation. When steroid pretreatment was performed the responsiveness of gonadotrophs to low concentrations of GnRH was still increased. In contrast, at high concentrations of GnRH the sensitizing action of PACAP on agonist-induced LH secretion was lost in steroid-treated cells. There were no significant differences between the steroid treatment paradigms. It is concluded that estradiol but not progesterone acts as a modulator of adenylyl cyclase in gonadotrophs. The stimulatory effect of estradiol is thought to be involved in its sensitizing action on agonist-induced LH secretion. The inhibitory effect of estradiol on PACAP-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities seems to be responsible for the loss of its action to sensitize LH secretory responses to GnRH.     

The nature of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulus-luteinizing hormone secretory response of human gonadotrophs in vivo

To examine the stimulus-secretion response of human pituitary gonadotrophs in vivo, we applied a new multiple parameter deconvolution technique to analyze (1) exogenous GnRH-stimulated LH secretory responses in 10 men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), and (2) endogenous and exogenous GnRH-stimulated LH secretory responses in 8 normal men. The GnRH-deficient men were given 4 bolus doses of synthetic GnRH (7.5, 25, 75, and 250 ng/kg) iv at 2-h intervals in randomized order after long term pulsatile GnRH administration. The normal men were studied by sampling blood at 10-min intervals for 12 h basally and after 2 consecutive 10-micrograms iv GnRH doses. The serum LH peaks in both groups were subjected to quantitative deconvolution to resolve underlying LH secretory and clearance rates simultaneously. Such analyses revealed that exogenous GnRH-induced LH secretory episodes in GnRH-deficient men with IHH could be modeled as algebraically Gaussian distributions of instantaneous LH secretory rates with a mean half-duration of 14 +/- 2 min. The simultaneously resolved half-life of endogenous LH disappearance was 71 +/- 5 min. The log dose-response relationship for GnRH dose vs. maximal LH secretory rate or vs. calculated mass of LH released per secretory burst was linear. In contrast, varying GnRH doses did not alter the duration of LH secretory bursts, the half-time of LH disappearance, or the latency of LH secretory bursts after iv GnRH injections (viz. 7.6 min). Deconvolution analysis of the spontaneous (endogenous GnRH-stimulated) LH peaks in normal men revealed a mean half-duration of secretory bursts of 9.9 +/- 1.5 min, and a mean half-time of endogenous LH disappearance of 76 +/- 5 min. These values were not significantly different from those in the GnRH-treated normal or GnRH-deficient men. In summary, deconvolution analysis of LH release in men with IHH revealed a significant linear relationship between iv doses of pulsed GnRH and computer-resolved LH secretory rate and/or the mass of LH released per secretory event. In contrast, varying doses of GnRH did not alter the lag time between the GnRH stimulus and the LH secretory burst, the duration of LH secretion, or the calculated half-life of the LH released. We conclude that GnRH exerts dose-dependent effects on specific attributes of the secretory response of human gonadotrophs in vivo.     

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-mediated desensitization of cultured rat anterior pituitary cells can be uncoupled from luteinizing hormone release

GnRH stimulates LH release from pituitary gonadotropes. Prolonged exposure of these cells to GnRH results in decreased sensitivity to further stimulation by the releasing hormone both in vivo and in vitro. Chelation of extracellular Ca++ with EGTA blocks GnRH-stimulated LH release but does not prevent subsequent desensitization. Desensitization occurs when cells are preincubated in EGTA containing 10(-7) M GnRH for a variety of times (20 min to 12 h) or when cells are preincubated for 3 h in EGTA with 10(-10), 10(-9), or 10(-8) M GnRH. A GnRH antagonist does not cause desensitization to GnRH and blocks desensitization in response to GnRH in the Ca++-free medium. Preincubation in EGTA containing 10(-7) M GnRH for 3 h did not alter sensitivity of cells to sn 1,2 dioctanoylglycerol (a protein kinase C activator), Ca++ ionophore A23187, or veratridine (an activator of endogenous ion channels). These results suggest that desensitization results from occupancy of the GnRH receptor by an agonist and may be uncoupled from LH release.     

Interaction between cortisol and arachidonic acid on the secretion of LH from ovine pituitary tissue.

In several species, glucocorticoids act directly on the pituitary gonadotroph to suppress the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced secretion of the gonadotrophins, especially LH. A mechanism for this action of these adrenal steroids has not been established, but it appears that the glucocorticoids influence LH release by acting on one or more post-receptor sites. This study investigated whether glucocorticoids disrupt GnRH-induced LH release by altering the liberation of arachidonic acid from plasma membrane phospholipids, a component of GnRH-induced LH release. Using perifused ovine pituitary tissue, it was established that exposure of gonadotrophs to 1-1000 nmol cortisol/l for 4 h or longer significantly reduced GnRH-stimulated LH release with the maximal inhibitory effect being observed after 6 h of exposure to cortisol. This suppressive effect of cortisol could be reversed by administration of arachidonic acid, which in its own right could stimulate LH release from ovine pituitary tissue. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of cortisol on GnRH-stimulated LH release could be directly correlated with decreased pituitary responsiveness to GnRH-stimulated arachidonic acid liberation, consistent with our hypothesis that glucocorticoids can suppress GnRH-induced secretion of LH by reducing the amount of arachidonic acid available for the exocytotic response of GnRH.