Plasma and pituitary luteinizing hormone concentrations and peripheral plasma oestradiol concentration during early pregnancy and after the administration of progestational steroids in the rat.

Abstract

SUMMARY Plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were already lower on Day 2 of pregnancy than at the same time after the preceding ovulation in the non-pregnant rat, and fell progressively up to Day 16 of pregnancy. No evidence was obtained of any increase at the time when the ovulatory surge of LH would have occurred if the animal had not become pregnant. Pituitary LH concentration was lower in mated rats on the morning of Day 0 of pregnancy than in unmated controls on the morning of the day of oestrus. Subsequently it increased slowly to reach a level higher than at any stage of the oestrous cycle by Day 8 of pregnancy and remained high until at least Day 16 of pregnancy. Peripheral plasma oestradiol concentration increased late on Day 2 of pregnancy and was still raised on Day 4 but was never more than about one fourth of the peak concentration seen on the morning of prooestrus during the oestrous cycle. There were similar changes in plasma LH and oestradiol concentrations in the 48 h after a single injection of 2·5mg progesterone on the morning of the day of dioestrus, a procedure that delays ovulation by 1 or 2 days. Administration of a synthetic progestational compound (medroxyprogesterone acetate) to pregnant rats delayed blastocyst implantation and the delay was associated with a marked decrease in peripheral plasma LH to levels below those of normal pregnancy.