title: Opioid-adrenergic-steroid connection in regulation of luteinizing hormone secretion in the rat.
abstract: In this article we have attempted first to summarize the current information on the effects of each of the three neuronal systems - gonadal steroid concentrating neurons, catecholamine and opioid producing neurons - on various aspects of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) secretion. The salient features of the new information are: (1) gonadal steroids are capable of raising LHRH levels in the median eminence nerve terminals without changing LH (LHRH) secretion; (2) a chain of temporally related neural events in the preoptic-tuberal pathway precede the preovulatory LH release; (3) catecholamines may provide a permissive environment for appropriate function of LHRH neurons, and (4) the inhibitory influence of endogenous opioid peptides on LH release may be mediated by adrenergic neurons in the preoptic-tuberal pathway. Based on this information we have constructed a conceptual model which attempts to integrate the inputs of these three systems during the episodic basal and cyclic release of LH in the rat.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D007033:Hypothalamus, Middle / Q000502:physiology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010060:Ovulation; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000502:physiology*; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000502:physiology*; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000502:physiology*; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine