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Kappa‐Opioid Receptor Involvement in the Regulation of Pulsatile Luteinizing Hormone Release During Early Pregnancy in the Rat
Author(s) -
Gallo Robert V.
Publication year - 1990
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2826.1990.tb00465.x
Subject(s) - endocrinology , medicine , opioid peptide , (+) naloxone , opioid receptor , endogenous opioid , opioid , pulsatile flow , opioid antagonist , luteinizing hormone , endorphins , receptor , chemistry , κ opioid receptor , stimulation , gonadotropin , hormone
The object of this study was to gain further insight into endogenous opioid peptide suppression of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) release in early gestation in the rat by examining whether selective blockade of mu ‐, delta ‐, or kappa‐opioid receptor(s) results in stimulation of pulsatile LH secretion at this time. Previous reports demonstrated stimulation of pulsatile LH release during early gestation by intravenous infusions of naloxone, an endogenous opioid peptide receptor antagonist whose binding is not specific to a single class of opioid peptide receptors. In the present study, naloxone infused intraventricularly similarly stimulated an increase in pulsatile LH release on Days 7 to 8 of gestation. Antagonists of specific opioid peptide receptor subtypes were thus given by this route. Administration of nor‐binaltorphimine, an antagonist of kappa‐opioid receptors, but not β‐funaltrexamine or ICI 174, 864, antagonists of mu‐ and delta‐opioid receptors, respectively, exerted a stimulatory action on both LH pulse amplitude and frequency similar to that of naloxone, indicating involvement of this opioid peptide receptor subtype in the endogenous opioid peptide suppression of pulsatile LH release in early gestation in the rat.