Gonadotropin production and release in female goldfish (Carassius auratus) after administration of pimozide and an LHRH analogue as studied by electron microscopy and radioimmunoassay.

The effect of pimozide and an LHRH-analogue (LHRH-A) on gonadotropic cells of the goldfish pituitary gland were described qualitatively and quantitatively. A scale of four categories was devised to reflect various ultrastructural appearances of the cells. Experimental animals were divided into a control group, a group injected with LHRH-A alone, pimozide alone, and groups receiving these two substances in combination. Fish injected with the single substance were killed 12 h after injection while the groups receiving the combined treatments were killed at 4, 12 and 48 h. Serum levels of gonadotropin measured by radioimmunoassay were used to indicate whether an increase in hormone release had occurred. An immunocytochemical technique, the protein A-gold procedure, assured that the cells studied were gonadotropes. The control group showed variation in the profiles of gonadotropic cells. The single treatment groups showed some increase in secretory inclusions. At 4 h after injection the combined treatment caused a significant increase in hormone granules; at 12 and 48 h there was a gradual decrease in content of secretory products, and an increase in vacuolization. The results indicate that the combined pimozide and LHRH-A treatment stimulated gonadotropin production as well as release.