Effects of pentobarbital on hypothalamic catecholamines and LRH activities.
Pentobarbital (Pnt) injection at 12.30 h to ovariectomized rats suppressed the LRH contents of the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) in association with a significant fall in serum LH 60-90 min later. The LRH contents in the preoptic area (POA) were unchanged in Pnt treated rats. A similar effect on LRH levels in the MBH was also evident in ovariectomized rats pre-treated with oestradiol benzoate. Pnt administration rapidly reduced the noradrenergic (NE) turnover in the MBH and POA, whereas dopamine (DA) turnover was unaltered. These studies show that: (i) the apparent decrease in LRH secretion (release + contents) following Pnt treatment was associated with a fall in the hypothalamic NE neurotransmission, and (ii) LRH neurons and fibres in the MBH alone respond to Pnt treatment.
D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007033:Hypothalamus, Middle / Q000378:metabolism; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
D002395:Catecholamines; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D010424:Pentobarbital; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine