Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue binds to luteal cells and inhibits progesterone production

Abstract

Although gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is believed to mediate the hypothalamic control of pituitary gonadotropin secretion, continuous or repeated administration of GnRH or its agonist analogues has been shown to cause paradoxical anti-fertility effects in several species, including primates^1–8. GnRH-induced interruption of reproductive cycles and pregnancy is associated with diminished progesterone production, implying defective function of the corpus luteum^1,3–6. These luteolytic effects have been attributed^4,5 to the well recognised desensitising actions of elevated luteinising hormone (LH) levels on ovarian LH receptors and steroidogenesis^9,10, subsequent to GnRH-induced gonadotropin release from the anterior pituitary. However, treatment with high doses of exogenous LH did not cause suppression of serum progesterone levels during early pregnancy in rat⁸, whereas a highly active GnRH analogue was effective in this regard. These observations suggested that GnRH and its agonist analogues, given in high or sustained doses, can exert a direct action on the ovary that is independent of the pituitary. This hypothesis was further supported by the ability of GnRH and its agonists to inhibit human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)-induced ovarian and uterine weight gain in hypophysectomised rats¹¹ and to delay the onset of puberty in intact female rats¹². Also, GnRH and its agonist analogues have recently been shown to inhibit steroidogenesis induced by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in cultured granulosa cells, confirming the direct action of such peptides on the ovarian follicle¹³. The marked inhibitory effects of GnRH and its agonists on corpus luteum function suggest that these compounds could exert direct actions by binding to specific receptors on luteal cells. The present experiments, which examine the effects of GnRH agonists on luteal steroidogenesis, demonstrate the existence of such actions and their mediation by specific high-affinity receptor sites present in luteal cell membranes.