Effect of calcium and potassium on basal and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulated release of luteinizing hormone (LH)

Abstract

Abstract. LH release from the anterior pituitary was studied by the method of an in vitro superfusion of bovine anterior pituitary tissue slices. LH release was stimulated by increased potassium concentration (23 and 59 mm) and by synthetic GnRH (1 and 4 ng/ml). While the potassium effect was completely dependent on extracellular calcium, that of GnRH was only partially dependent. Additive effect was observed when GnRH followed enhanced potassium infusion but not vice versa. This suggested that the mechanism responding to potassium may be contained within the stimulatory pathway of GnRH. There was a difference in the dynamics of the LH response: maximum response was attained in about 10 min of potassium infusion while infusion of GnRH resulted mostly in multiphasic stepwise release of LH reaching a plateau in 60 to 90 min only. It is speculated that the potassium effect involves the K+, Na+ dependent ATPase.