Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone release from rat hypothalamus in vitro

The effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on the releases of LH and GnRH were examined in a sequential double chamber perifusion system by perfusing the medio-basal hypothalamus and/or pituitary excised from normal female rats in diestrus or ovariectomized rats. When the medio-basal hypothalamus and pituitary from normal rats in series were perifused with VIP (10(-6) mol/l), the concentration of LH in the efflux was increased by 59-181% above that before the injection (P less than 0.05), VIP having a dose-dependent effect. VIP had no effect on LH release from the pituitary perifused alone. Infusion of VIP at 10(-6) mol/l induced a significant release (84-159% increase, P less than 0.05) of GnRH from the medio-basal hypothalamus. Infusion of 10(-6) mol/l VIP induced a significant release (41-99% increase, P less than 0.05) of LH in ovariectomized rats. These findings suggest that VIP induces GnRH release from the medio-basal hypothalamus, resulting in LH release from the pituitary, and that this process does not require ovarian estrogen.