Stimulation of anterior pituitary adenyl cyclase activity and adenosine 3':5'-cyclic phosphate by hypothalamic extract and prostaglandin E1

Hypothalamic extract, containing the releasing factors for anterior pituitary hormones, within minutes stimulated adenyl cyclase activity and adenosine 3':5'-cyclic phosphate (cyAMP) concentrations in rat anterior pituitary in vitro. Cerebral cortical extract was ineffective and hypothalamic extract had no effect on these parameters in posterior pituitary or thyroid. Prostaglandin E(1) also increased adenyl cyclase activity and cyAMP levels in anterior pituitary tissue. Although NaF augmented adenyl cyclase activity, it did not elevate cyAMP. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, histamine, serotonin, dopamine, and vasopressin did not increase either adenyl cyclase or cyAMP. The increased adenyl cyclase and cyAMP produced by hypothalamic extract was associated with greater luteinizing hormone release from anterior pituitary in vitro.

Possible interaction of luteinizing hormone-releasing factor with other hypothalamic releasing factors at the level of the adenohypophysis

Anterior pituitary halves from adult male rats were incubated in vitro for 6 hr. in tissue culture Medium 199. Luteinizing hormone (LH) released from these glands under the influence of purified preparations of growth hormone-releasing factor (GH-RF), growth hormone-inhibiting factor (GH-IF), corticotrophin-releasing factor (C-RF) and follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor (FSH-RF) was determined by the ovarian ascorbic acid depletion (OAAD) assay. The effects of these factors, both alone and together with purified luteinizing hormone-releasing factor (LH-RF), were examined and compared with the response to purified LH-RF alone. While LH-RF consistently produced significant increases in LH release, none of the other factors did so, although FSH-RF showed some indication of LH-releasing activity, probably due to incomplete separation from LH-RF on the Sephadex gel filtration column used for purification. The LH released in response to LH-RF was not affected by the presence of any of the other factors. An apparent slight augmenting effect of FSH-RF could be accounted for by its contamination with LH-RF. The results are discussed in relation to the physiological mechanisms concerned in modifying LH release from the adenohypophysis.