Plasma luteinizing hormone and prolactin levels and hypothalamic catecholamine synthesis in steroid-treated...

The effects of estrogen (E) and progesterone (P) on synthesis rates and endogenous levels of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) were determined in individual ovariectomized (OVX) rats. 3H-tyrosine (3H-T) was injected intra-arterially and the rate of its incorporation into 3H-DA and 3H-NE was determined at 10, 15, 30, and 45 min. Steroid treatment for 2 days effectively decreased plasma LH levels and elevated plasma prolactin (Prl) levels while endogenous levels of NE and DA were not affected. NE synthesis was not affected by steroid treatment. A significant increase in DA synthesis was correlated with low plasma LH levels, suggesting that DA inhibits LH release. The elevated plasma Prl levels seen in steroid-treated rats were correlated with increased DA synthesis in the hypothalamus. This may indicate that elevated plasma Prl levels stimulate dopaminergic neurons in a short-loop negative feedback fashion.