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Gonadotropin-releasing hormone surge in pro-oestrous rats

Nature volume 264, pages 461–463 (1976)Cite this article

Abstract

IT has generally been accepted that the pre-ovulatory surge of luteinising hormone (LH) is caused by an increased release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from nerve terminals in the median eminence. So far, however, estimations of the concentrations of GnRH in hypophyseal portal vessel blood by bioassay1 or radioimmunoassay2,3 have failed to demonstrate a surge of GnRH before or during the spontaneous surge of LH. The anaesthetics used (urethane1,3 and sodium pento-barbitone2) block ovulation, and, therefore, are likely to block or truncate a surge of GnRH, if it occurs. We have re-examined this problem using Althesin (Glaxo, Middlesex) an anaesthetic which consists of 9 mg alphaxalone (3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnane-11,20-dione) and 3 mg alphadolone acetate (21-acetoxy-3α-ydroxy-5α-pregnane-11,20-dione) per ml of isotonic aqueous vehicle and show that it does not block the spontaneous LH surge or ovulation. Previous studies on the cat4 suggested that, although it can provide adequate analgesia, Althesin does not interfere with various forebrain functions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Anatomy, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX, UK

    D. K. SARKAR, SHARON A. CHIAPPA & G. FINK

  2. Department of Biology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8W 2Y2

    NANCY M. SHERWOOD

Authors
  1. D. K. SARKAR
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  2. SHARON A. CHIAPPA
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  3. G. FINK
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  4. NANCY M. SHERWOOD
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SARKAR, D., CHIAPPA, S., FINK, G. et al. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone surge in pro-oestrous rats. Nature 264, 461–463 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/264461a0

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