title: Local production of the gonadotropic hormones in the rat ovary.
abstract: The gonadotropic hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are synthesized by and released from the anterior pituitary in response to the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) signaling. In the female, LH and FSH affect folliculogenesis, ovarian steroid production, oocyte maturation, ovulation and corpus luteum formation. We have recently studied the expression of GnRH and its receptor in the rat ovary and found organ-specific, estrous cycle-dependant, fluctuations. Subsequently, we wished to determine whether rat ovaries also express gonadotropic hormones. Using RT-PCR, we detected LHbeta, FSHbeta and the common alpha-subunit mRNA's in intact follicles, theca cells, corpora lutea and in meiotically competent and incompetent oocytes. Granulosa cells, however, express mRNA's for LHbeta and the common alpha-subunit, but not for FSHbeta. We cloned and sequenced the ovarian LHbeta transcript and found it to be longer (2.3kb) than the one produced by pituitary gonadotropes (0.8kb), due to a longer 5'-UTR. We studied the regulation of ovarian LHbeta mRNA in sexually immature female rats administered with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and in adult cyclic rats. PMSG administration caused a significant decrease in LHbeta mRNA expression, detected by real-time PCR. Similarly, LHbeta mRNA levels were lower on estrous morning versus proestrous evening. Interestingly, ovarian content of LH remained unchanged following hypophysectomy, although ovarian weight was immensely reduced. Taken together, it seems probable that ovarian LH is heterologously/homologously regulated by pituitary, and possibly also by local gonadotropins. Thus, these findings may imply the existence of a local GnRH-gonadotropin axis in the mammalian ovary that may be involved in the management of processes that lead to ovulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: Tamar D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Schirman-Hildesheim
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gershon
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Litichever
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galiani
authors.forename: Nurit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben-Aroya
authors.forename: Nava
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dekel
authors.forename: Yitzhak
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D037101:Luteinizing Hormone, beta Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit; D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine; D037101:Luteinizing Hormone, beta Subunit; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone