In vivo release of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone increases with puberty in the female rhesus monkey.

To determine the regulatory mechanism of the LHRH release associated with puberty, episodic release of LHRH from the stalk-median eminence was measured using a push-pull perfusion technique in conscious prepubertal and peripubertal female monkeys. After insertion of a push-pull cannula into the stalk-median eminence, a modified Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer solution was infused through the push-cannula, and perfusates were collected through the pull-cannula at 200 microliters/10 min. LHRH in perfusates was determined by RIA. Two 6-h sampling sessions, in the morning (0600-1200 h; lights on 0600 h) and in the evening (1800-2400 h; lights off 1800 h) were performed in each animal. LHRH release patterns were analyzed in prepubertal (15.7 +/- 0.7 months of age; mean +/- SEM, n = 6) early pubertal (premenarcheal; 26.1 +/- 1.0 months, n = 7), and midpubertal (40.0 +/- 1.4 months, n = 6) monkeys. Results were as follows: 1) LHRH release was pulsatile in all age groups. While LHRH release in five of six prepubertal animals consisted of small (amplitude less than 2.5 pg/ml) pulses, in all peripubertal animals LHRH release was a mixture of small and large (amplitude greater than 2.5 pg/ml) pulses. 2) There was a significant developmental increase in mean LHRH release (P less than 0.02), and this was particularly apparent in the evening. Mean LHRH release in the early and midpubertal groups was higher than that in the prepubertal group (P less than 0.05 for morning and P less than 0.01 for evening). The mean release in the evening of the midpubertal group further increased over that of the early pubertal group (P less than 0.05). 3) Similarly, LHRH pulse amplitude increased developmentally (P less than 0.01). Pulse amplitudes in early and midpubertal groups were higher than those in the prepubertal group (P less than 0.05 for morning and P less than 0.02 for evening). Again the amplitude in the evening further increased from the early pubertal to the midpubertal period (P less than 0.05). 4) There was also a developmental increase in basal LHRH release (P less than 0.01). The evening values in the early pubertal and midpubertal groups were higher than those in the prepubertal group (P less than 0.05). 5) The interpulse interval decreased developmentally (P less than 0.001). Interpulse intervals in early and midpubertal groups were shorter than those in the prepubertal group (P less than 0.01 for morning and P less than 0.025 for evening).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)