J. Ladoabeal et Rl. Norman, ABSENCE OF AN INHIBITORY VASOPRESSINERGIC TONE ON LH-RELEASE IN PUBERTAL MALE RHESUS MACAQUES, Neuroendocrinology, 67(4), 1998, pp. 236-243
During puberty, primates begin to secrete LH, and presumably GnRH, at
night and then eventually throughout the day as they mature. We examin
ed the role of vasopressin, a putative inhibitor of the GnRH pulse gen
erator, on LH secretion in pubertal male macaques both during the day
when the GnRH pulse generator was not active and during the night when
pulsatile LH secretion was observed. As has been found in other prima
tes, LH and testosterone levels were low during the day and elevated a
t night. A potent vasopressin receptor antagonist (VPa) was administer
ed during the middle 5 h of a 15-hour daytime or nighttime blood colle
ction period to determine the effects on LH, testosterone and cortisol
secretion. Both during the day and night, cortisol secretion was elev
ated during VPa infusion, suggesting that this Via receptor antagonist
has agonist activity on the V1b receptor in the pituitary involved in
vasopressin-stimulated corticotropin release. Mean LH levels during V
Pa infusion were not different from the control period for that group
during the day when LH secretion was absent. Mean LH levels were signi
ficantly higher (p < 0.05) than pre-VPa LH levels at night when pulsat
ile LH secretion was observed. However, LH levels at night during VPa
were not higher than levels in untreated animals at the same time. The
results of these studies demonstrate that LH and testosterone profile
s are similar to those observed in human males during the pubertal tra
nsition and suggest that the absence of daytime gonadotropin release d
uring puberty is not due to inhibitory vasopressinergic tone on the Gn
RH pulse generator.