Biology of Reproduction, Vol 24, 415-422, Copyright © 1981 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

Induction of the Luteinizing Hormone Surge by Intrahypothalamic Application of Estrogen in the Rhesus Monkey

¹ Department of Physiology, Unviersity of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5C1

The site of action of estrogen in inducing the LH surge in the rhesus monkey was investigated by intracranial implantation of crystalline estradiol-17. Platforms were placed upon the skulls of intact female monkeys, which permitted placement of stainless steel cannulae filled with estradiol-17 into various neural sites or the pituitary. When estradiol was placed into the medial basal hypothalamus at the level of the arcuate nucleus (probably in the third ventricle) on Day 3 of the menstrual cycle, eight of nine monkeys responded with an LH surge, with peak LH levels occurring 48-72 h later. No LH surges followed placement of estradiol in the anterior hypothalamus or preoptic area, the premammillary region, the pituitary, 2 mm lateral to midline in the basal hypothalamus, or following placement of empty cannulae in the medial basal hypothalamus. Thus it seems unlikely that estrogen induces the LH surge in the rhesus monkey by an action in the rostral hypothalamus. Because of the possibility of diffusion of estrogen into the hypophyseal portal vascular system, estrogen implants in the medial basal hypothalamus may induce the LH surge by acting there, in the pituitary, or in both sites.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I sincerely thank K. A. Noh, V. Pitelka, and P. Dhanarajan for their expert technical assistance. I also thank Drs. G. D. Niswender, L. E. Reichert, Jr., W. D. Peckham, and D. T. Armstrong and NIAMDD for generous supplies of assay reagents. I further acknowledge the financial support of MRC of Canada.