Gonadotropin and prolactin pulsations in hyperprolactinemic women before and during bromocriptine therapy

Pulsatile gonadotropin secretion and its relationship to PRL and estradiol (E2) secretion were investigated in 20 hyperprolactinemic amenorrheic women by obtaining serial blood samples for 6- to 24-h periods. Thirteen patients were restudied in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (days 3-5) after ovulatory periods were established during bromocriptine therapy. In the hyperprolactinemic women, the number of LH peaks ranged from 0-12/24 h, and LH peak amplitude ranged from 0-1.7 mIU/ml. Serum E2 correlated with mean LH concentrations (P less than 0.001) and LH pulse frequency (P less than 0.05), but not with LH pulse amplitude. FSH pulsations were identified in 3 of the 20 women. There was no correlation between mean FSH concentrations and either serum E2 or PRL. There was a significant correlation between LH and FSH concentrations (P less than 0.001). During bromocriptine therapy, with comparable E2 concentrations, 5 of the 6 patients studied with blood sampling every 20 min for 24 h had a significant decrease (P less than 0.01) in the number of LH peaks per 24 h, with no change in LH peak amplitude. Mean FSH concentrations were unchanged in bromocriptine-treated patients; however, there was a significant (P less than 0.02) decrease in FSH levels during sleep. Serum PRL was normal in all bromocriptine-treated patients, but normal PRL secretory patterns were not reestablished, and there was no correlation between LH pulsations and serum PRL concentrations. We conclude that 1) hyperprolactinemic women have a heterogeneous pattern of pulsatile gonadotropin secretion; 2) serum E2 correlates with LH pulse frequency but not pulse amplitude; 3) LH pulsations and PRL pulsations are asynchronous in hyperprolactinemic women before and during bromocriptine therapy; and 4) normal PRL secretory patterns are not required for ovulatory function in hyperprolactinemic women treated with bromocriptine.