Acute Inhibitory Effects of 17β-Estradiol Are Observed on Gonadotropin Secretion from Perifused Pituitary Fragments of Metestrous, but Not Proestrous, Rats*

Abstract

The in vivo suppression of LH by 17 beta-estradiol (E2) has been documented frequently. However, the demonstration of a direct inhibitory action of E2, in contrast to a stimulatory action, on the secretion of LH from the anterior pituitary has been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine if E2 can suppress either basal (unstimulated) or GnRH-stimulated gonadotropin secretion directly at the level of the anterior pituitary gland. Anterior pituitaries were obtained from metestrous and proestrous females rats at 0900 h, and trunk blood was collected for serum measurements of LH, FSH, E2, and progesterone (P). Each anterior pituitary was cut into eighths and placed into a microchamber for perifusion. Pituitary fragments were perifused at a rate of 10 ml/h using medium 199 (without phenol red) that contained E2 (1 nM) or ethanol as a control. Six pulses of GnRH (peak amplitude, 50 ng/ml; duration, 2 min) were administered one per h starting at 60 min. Fractions of perfusate were collected every 5 min for measurement of LH and FSH. The total amounts of LH and FSH secreted during the 1-h interval after each GnRH pulse or corresponding basal hour were calculated. Both basal and LH and FSH responses to GnRH were significantly greater from pituitaries of proestrous compared to metestrous rats. The selective suppression of LH secretion by in vitro treatment with E2 was demonstrated using pituitaries from metestrous rats receiving GnRH pulses, but not using pituitaries from proestrous rats. Thus, a negative feedback effect of E2 on LH secretion was observed only in pituitaries from donors with low serum levels of E2 and high P, but not from donors with high serum levels of E2 and low P. We believe that the in vivo steroid environment determined the subsequent responses to in vitro treatment with E2 on GnRH-stimulated gonadotropin secretion from the isolated pituitary gland.