Evidence that stimulation of two modalities of pituitary luteinizing hormone release in ovarian steroid-primed ovariectomized rats may involve neuropeptide YY1 and Y4 receptors

A large body of evidence indicates that neuropeptide Y (NPY) is involved in stimulation of basal and cyclic; release of hypothalamic LHRH and pituitar y LH. To identify the NPY receptor subtypes that mediate the excitatory eff ects of NPY in these two modalities of LH release, we studied the effects o f 1229U91, a selective Y1 receptor antagonist and Y4 receptor agonist, in t wo experimental paradigms that reproduce the two modalities of LH secretion in steroid-primed ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Rats were ovariectomized and implanted with a permanent cannula into the lateral cerebroventricle. In th e first experiment, rats received estradiol benzoate (EB, 30 mu g/rat) on d ay 5, followed 2 days later with progesterone (2 mg/rat) at 1000 h to induc e an afternoon LH surge. 1229U91 (30 mu g/3 mu l) or vehicle (control) was injected intracerebroventricularly into these rats either once at 1300 h or twice (15 mu g/injection) at 1100 and 1200 h. Blood samples were collected before progesterone injection at 1000 h and at hourly intervals from 1300- 1800 h via an intrajugular cannula implanted on the previous day. In contro l rats, serum LH levels rose significantly at 1400 h, and these high levels were maintained until 1700 h. After two injections of 1229U91, LH levels d isplayed a tendency to rise at 1300-1400 h, as in controls, but thereafter, decreased rapidly below the control range. In the second experiment, the a cute effect of 1229U91 on LH release was evaluated in OVX rats pretreated w ith EB alone. Saline alone or saline containing 1, 3, 10, or 30 mu g 1229U9 1 was injected intracerebroventricularly at 1000 h, and the effects on LH r elease were analyzed at 10, 20, 30, and 60 min. 1229U91 elicited a dose-dep endent stimulation of LH release, with maximal response (950% of basal leve ls) occurring at 10 min after the 30-mu g dose; elevated levels were mainta ined for 1 h. Because 1229U91 is a potent Y4 agonist with some affinity for Y5 receptors, these results raised the possibility that activation of Y4/Y 5 receptors by 1229U91 may augment LH release. Therefore, we examined the e ffects of icy administration of rat pancreatic polypeptide, a Y4-selective agonist, and [D-Trp(32)]-NPY, a Y5 agonist on LH release in EB-primed rats. Rat pancreatic polypeptide (0.5-2 mu g/rat) stimulated LH release in a dos e-related manner, and peak levels (280% of basal levels) were seen at 10 -2 0 min; the response evoked by a higher dose (10 mu g) was smaller than that induced by 0.5 or 2 mu g. [D-Trp(32)]-NPY was relatively less effective, b ecause only the highest (10-mu g) dose elicited a modest stimulation (244% of basal levels). These results demonstrate that 1229U91, a Y1 antagonist a nd Y4 agonist, evokes two types of responses; it suppresses the protracted ovarian steroid-induced LH surge, and acutely, it also stimulates LH. These results imply that normally two different types of NPY receptors may media te the stimulation of LH release. Because 1229U91 is a Y1 receptor antagoni st, inhibition of the steroid-induced LH surge by 1229U91 suggests that Y1 receptors may mediate the cyclic release of LH. On the other hand, acute st imulation of LH by 1229U91 implies that the Y4 agonist-like activity of 122 9U91 may mediate the basal release of LH and that either NPY or a yet-to-be -identified endogenous Y4 receptor agonist may activate Y4 receptors in the hypothalamus to stimulate LH release.