Pituitary responsiveness to LHRH during pregnancy in the rat: effect of progesterone

The LH and FSH responses to a standard infusion of LHRH were studied on days 8, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 22 after conception as well as on day 23, i.e. after parturition. Groups of rats were also killed on days 8, 15, 19, 22 and 23 and on the day of pro-oestrus of the 4-day cycle for the assay of progesterone, 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone (DHP), oestradiol-17 beta, LH and FSH. Finally, the post-partum surges of LH and FSH were compared with those at pro-oestrus in 4-day cyclic rats. The LH and FSH responses to LHRH were relatively low on days 8 and 12, twice as high on days 15, 17 and 19, had increased further on day 21 and reached maximal values on day 22. The gonadotrophin responses were low on day 23. The post-partum surges of LH and FSH were much higher than the pro-oestrous surges. Pituitary contents of LH and FSH were higher than on pro-oestrus of the 4-day cycle. On day 23, however, the pituitary contents had declined by 60-80%. No apparent relationship was found between plasma concentrations of LH and FSH and LHRH responsiveness during pregnancy. Concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta on day 22 were higher than on all other days of pregnancy, but lower than on pro-oestrus of the 4-day cycle. Concentrations of progesterone were high until day 19 and low on days 22 and 23; the concentration of DHP was low until day 19 and very high on days 22 and 23.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)