Abstract
Acute administration of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) has been shown to inhibit gonadotropin secretion in several species including rodents, sheep, humans, and nonhuman primates. Similarly, a variety of acute stressors have been shown to inhibit tonic gonadotropin secretion and may do so through a CRH mechanism. Stress-induced inhibition of tonic gonadotropin secretion below levels required for follicular maturation would be expected to inhibit ovulation. An additional mechanism whereby acute stressors could interfere with ovulation is through inhibition of the preovulatory gonadotropin surge. In the present study, we determined the effect of acute activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis on phasic gonadotropin secretion in female rhesus monkeys. Activation of the HPA axis was achieved by either a hypoglycemic challenge or blockage of cortisol synthesis with metyrapone, 24h after an estradiol benzoate challenge. Neither metyrapone nor insulin-induced hypoglycemia inhibited gonadotropin secretion. In fact, the initiation of the luteinizing hormone and folliclestimulating hormone surge was advanced by 7.4±0.4 h (p<0.001) and 4.8±1.4 h (p=0.04) respectively, in metyrapone-treated monkeys compared with saline controls. By contrast, hypoglycemia did not affect the gonadotropin surge. The gonadotropin surge was preceded by increased progesterone secretion in metyraponetreated but not insulin-treated monkeys. This difference in progesterone secretion likely explains the advancement of the gonadotropin surge in the metyraponetreated animals.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chrousos, G. P., Torpy, D. J., and Gold, P. W. (1998). Ann. Intern. Med. 129, 229–240.
Roozendaal, M. M., Swarts, J. J., van Maanen, J. C., Wiegant, V. M., and Mattheij, J. A. (1997). Life Sci. 60, 735–742.
Norman, R. L., McGlone, J., and Smith, C. J. (1994). Biol. Reprod. 50, 16–26.
Briski, K. P. and Sylvester, P. W. (1992). Psychoneuroendocrinology 17, 125–133.
Clarke, I. J., Horton, R. J., and Doughton, B. W. (1990). Endocrinology 127, 1470–1476.
Chen, M. D., Ordog, T., O’Byrne, K. T., Goldsmith, J. R., Connaughton, M. A., and Knobil, E. (1996). Endocrinology 137, 2012–2021.
Chen, M. D., O’Byrne, K. T., Chiappini, S. E., Hotchkiss, J., and Knobil, E. (1992). Neuroendocrinology 56, 666–673.
Goubillon, M. L. and Thalabard, J. C. (1996). Neuroendocrinology 64, 49–56.
Heisler, L. E., Pallotta, C. M., Reid, R. L., and Van Vugt, D. A. (1993). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 76, 1280–1285.
Heisler, L. E., Tumber, A. J., Reid, R. L., and Van Vugt, D. A. (1994). Neuroendocrinology 40, 297–304.
Rivest, S. and Rivier, C. (1991). Endocrinology 129, 2049–2057.
Petraglia, F., Vale, W., and Rivier, C. (1986). Endocrinology 119, 2445–2450.
Williams, C. Y., Harris, T. G., Battaglia, D. F., Viguie, C., and Karsch, F. J. (2001). Endocrinology 142, 1915–1922.
Harris, T. G., Battaglia, D. F., Brown, M. E., et al. (2000). Endocrinology 141, 1050–1058.
Battaglia, D. F., Beaver, A. B., Harris, T. G., Tanhehco, E., Viguie, C., and Karsch, F. J. (1999). Endocrinology 140, 2471–2479.
Rivier, C. and Rivest, S. (1991). Biol. Reprod. 45, 523–532.
Chatterton, R. T. (1990). Int. J. Fertil. 35, 8–13.
Ferin, M. (1993). Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 697, 106–116.
Olster, D. and Ferin, M. (1987). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 65, 262–267.
Barbarino, A., De Marinis, L., Tofani, A., et al. (1989). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 68, 523–528.
Xiao, E. N. and Ferin, M. (1988). Biol. Reprod. 38, 763–767.
Williams, C. L., Nishihara, M., Thalabard, J. C., Grosser, P. M., Hotehkiss, J., and Knobil, E. (1990). Neuroendocrinology 52, 133–137.
Gambacciani, M., Yen, S., and Rasmussen, D. (1986). Neuroendocrinology 43, 533–536.
MacLusky, N. J., Naftolin, F., and Leranth, C. (1988). Brain Res. 439, 391–395.
Gindoff, P. and Ferin, M. (1987). Endocrinology 121, 837–842.
Ferin, M., Rosenblatt, H., Carmel, P. W., Antunes, J. L., and Vande Wiele, R. L. (1979). Endocrinology 104, 50–52.
Knobil, E., Plant, T. M., Wildt, L., Belchetz, P. E., and Marshall, G. (1980). Science 207, 1371–1373.
Berkenbosch, F., De Goeij, D. C., and Tilders, F. J. (1989). Endocrinology 125, 28–34.
Roy, B. N., Shridhar, S., and Van Vugt, D. A. (1999). In: Abstracts of the 81st Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society, June 12–15, 1999, San Diego, California (Abstract P2-455).
Paulmyer-Lacroix, O., Anglade, G., and Grino, M. (1994). J. Mol. Endocrinol. 13, 313–320.
Plotsky, P. M., Bruhn, T. O., and Vale, W. (1985). Endocrinology 117, 323–329.
Robinson, B. G., Mealy, K., Wilmore, D. W., and Majzoub, J. A. (1992). Endocrinology 130, 920–925.
Plotsky, P. M. and Sawchenko, P. E. (1987). Endocrinology 120, 1361–1369.
Alexander, S. L., Irvine, C. H., Livesey, J. H., and Donald, R. A. (1993). Endocrinology 133, 860–866.
Conte-Devolx, B., Guillaume, V., Boudouresque, F., et al. (1992). Acta Endocrinol. 127, 435–440.
Van Vugt, D. A., Piercy, J., Farley, A. E., Reid, R. L., and Rivest, S. (1997). Endocrinology 138, 2249–2258.
Lee, W. S., Smith, M. S., and Hoffman, G. E. (1990). Endocrinology 127, 2604–2606.
Terasawa, E., Rodriguez-Sierra, J. F., Dierschke, D. J., Bridson, W. E., and Goy, R. W. (1980). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 51, 1245–1250.
Grant, J. K. (1972). Sci. Basis Med. Annu. Rev. 103–117.
Polkowska, J. and Przekop, F. (1997). Acta Neurobiol. Exp. (Warsz) 57, 91–99.
Rivier, C. and Vale, W. (1984). Endocrinology 114, 914–921.
Medina, C. L., Nagatani, S., Darling, T. A., et al. (1998). J. Neuroendocrinol. 10, 785–792.
Karsch, F. J., Weick, R. F., Butler, W. R., et al. (1973). Endocrinology 92, 1740–1747.
Heisler, L. E., Pallotta, C. M., Reid, R. L., and Van Vugt, D. A. (1993). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 76, 1280–1285.
Xia, L., Van Vugt, D., Alston, E. J., Luckhaus, J., and Ferin, M. (1992). Endocrinology 131, 2812–2820.
Caraty, A. and Skinner, D. C. (1999). Endocrinology 140, 165–170.
Moenter, S. M., Brand, R. C., and Karsch, F. J. (1992). Endocrinology 130, 2978–2984.
Barraclough, C. A. and Sawyer, C. H. (1955). Endocrinology 57, 329–337.
Butcher, R. L., Collins, W. E., and Fugo, N. W. (1975). Endocrinology 96, 576–586.
Ferin, M., Wehrenberg, W. B., Lam, N. Y., Alston, E. J., and Vande Wiele, R. L. (1982). Endocrinology 111, 1652–1656.
Knobil, E. (1974). Recent Prog. Horm. Res. 30, 1–46.
Terasawa, E., Yeoman, R. R., and Schultz, N. J. (1984). Biol. Reprod. 31, 732–741.
Clifton, D. K., Steiner, R. A., Resko, J. A., and Spies, H. G. (1975). Biol. Reprod. 13, 190–194.
March, C. M., Goebelsmann, U., Nakamura, R. M., and Mishell, D. R. Jr. (1979). J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 49, 507–513.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lujan, M.E., MacTavish, P.J., Krzemien, A.A. et al. Estrogen-induced gonadotropin surge in rhesus monkeys is not inhibited by cortisol synthesis inhibition or hypoglycemia. Endocr 19, 169–176 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1385/ENDO:19:2:169
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/ENDO:19:2:169