Ovarian and peripheral blood inhibin concentrations increase with gonadotropin treatment in immature rats.

The effects of PMSG treatment on ovarian and circulating inhibin concentrations in immature female rats has been examined. Sixty-four hours after injection of 10, 20 or 40 IU of PMSG the animals were anesthetized with ether; ovaries, uteri and blood from the abdominal aorta were collected. Steroid-free extracts of ovary and serum samples were prepared and assayed quantitatively for inhibin activity in an in vitro bioassay system. PMSG treatment elevated (p less than 0.001) both uterine and ovarian wt, and ovarian and peripheral concentrations of inhibin. A dose-related increase occurred ovarian wt, and in peripheral and ovarian content of inhibin. Ovarian inhibin concentration increased with dose of PMSG until the highest dose, where a significant decline and luteinization were seen. Peripheral FSH levels were significantly lowered at all doses of PMSG treatment; in contrasts, LH was significantly elevated, due to cross-reaction of PMSG in the LH assay. These results show that both ovarian and circulating levels of inhibin are related to the degree of gonadotropic stimulation, supporting the view that inhibin is involved in folliculogenesis and in the feedback regulation of FSH.