title: [Expression of KISS-1 and GnRH in rat hypothalamus].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assay the expression of KiSS-1 and GnRH in the male rat hypothalamus at different developmental stages, and to explore the significance of KiSS-1 in sex development onset and normal reproduction regulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression analyses of KiSS-1 and GnRH genes were conducted in the rat hypothalamus at different developmental stages with RT-PCR and real time-PCR. The testosterone level was assayed by chemoluminescence technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  KiSS-1 mRNA rose gradually during sex development in the rat hypothalamus, highest at puberty and lowered a little at adulthood. KiSS-1 mRNA of the prepubertal, early pubertal, pubertal and adult rats was 1.7, 2.1, 3.5 and 2.0 times higher than that of the infantile rats respectively. The expression of GnRH and KiSS-1 correlated positively (r = 0.905, P < 0.05). But the activation of GnRH neuron was later than KiSS-1. The expression of GnRH was the highest in the puberty rats. GnRH mRNA of the prepubertal, early pubertal, pubertal and adult rats was 1.1, 1.94, 2.42 and 1.92 times higher than that of the infantile rats respectively. The level of testosterone in the adult rats was significantly higher than that at the earlier stage and was the highest at the adult stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of KiSS-1 correlates positively with that of GnRH. KiSS-1 may participate in the regulation of GnRH and is relevant to puberty onset and the regulation of reproduction function.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China.
authors.forename: Xue-song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cai-tian
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Zhao-hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gui-peng
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Zi-qing
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: En-ben
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yu-gui
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D059648:Kisspeptins; D008297:Male; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C491406:Kiss1 protein, rat; D059648:Kisspeptins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone