title: Two GnRHs fluctuate in correlation with androgen levels in the male frog Rana esculenta.
abstract: ChickenII-(cII-) and salmon (s-) GnRH levels have been measured in the male frog Rana esculenta during the annual cycle. The presence of pituitary binding activity for both peptides and plasma androgen levels has been investigated in order to give insight into the significance of the dual control exerted by the GnRH forms present in the R. esculenta brain. ChickenII- and s-GnRHs showed high values during the spring-summer period. Conversely, while cII-GnRH peaked in February, s-GnRH declined slowly from February until May. Plasma androgen levels increased as the peptides decreased during the autumn-winter period. Still high androgen levels (but significantly lower as compared with winter concentrations) were found during spring. Using iodinated cII-GnRH, GnRH binding sites were detected in pituitary preparations when the corresponding peptide concentration decreased in the brain. On the contrary, no binding sites were found using labeled s-GnRH. Our results indicate that cII-GnRH has a hypophysiotropic activity, while the role of s-GnRH needs to be further investigated.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisiologia Umana e Funzioni Biologiche Integrate F. Bottazzi II Università di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fasano
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Goos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pierantoni
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011893:Rana esculenta; D012474:Salmon; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C047717:LHRH, His(5)-Trp(7)-Tyr(8)-