Premium
The Effects of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor on the Hypothalamo‐Pituitary Gonadal Axis In Vitro in Female Rats
Author(s) -
Stanley S. A.,
Todd J. F.,
Small C. J.,
Kim M. S.,
Heath M. M.,
Anand P.,
Ghatei M. A.,
Bloom S. R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2826.2000.00550.x
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , ciliary neurotrophic factor , luteinizing hormone , anterior pituitary , hypothalamus , biology , leptin , hormone , receptor , chemistry , neurotrophic factors , obesity
Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a member of the neuropoietic family of cytokines. CNTF exerts its actions through activation of a receptor complex, which shows similarity of sequence, second messenger systems and distribution to the leptin receptor. Leptin has been demonstrated to exert profound effects on the hypothalamo‐pituitary gonadal axis. This study examines the in vitro effects of CNTF on hypothalamic luteinizing hormone releasing hormone release (LHRH) and pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) release compared to those of leptin in the female. We report that CNTF stimulates LHRH release from medial basal hypothalamic explants harvested from proestrous female rats and this effect is of similar magnitude to that seen with leptin. In contrast, CNTF suppresses LHRH‐stimulated LH release from dispersed anterior pituitary cells harvested from proestrous female rats but has no effect on basal LH release. Leptin stimulates basal LH release but has no effect on LHRH‐stimulated LH release. The suppressive effect of CNTF on LHRH‐stimulated LH release has been confirmed in perifused anterior hemipituitaries. These results suggest a differential effect of CNTF on the hypothalamo‐pituitary gonadal axis and a possible role in the modulation of pituitary gonadal function.