Luteinizing hormone (LH) and corticosterone in proestrous afternoon restore the follicle-stimulating hormone secretion at early estrus in adrenalectomized LH-releasing hormone antagonist-treated rats.

Administration of the antiprogestagen RU486 in the morning of proestrus abolishes the secondary surge of FSH during early estrus in the rat without preventing the drop in serum inhibin. In addition, the injection of an ovulatory dose of LH to RU486-injected rats does not restore the secondary surge of FSH. Since RU486 is a potent antiprogesterone with antiglucocorticoid activity, in the first experiment we compared the effects of RU486 and a specific antiprogesterone serum (APS), administered on proestrus, on the secretion of FSH during early estrus. While RU486 and APS reduced the primary surge of LH and FSH, only RU486 abolished the secondary secretion of FSH. In the second experiment, rats injected with LHRH antagonist (LHRHa) and ovine LH (oLH) were adrenalectomized (ADX) or sham-ADX in the morning and injected with corticosterone (B) or oil in the afternoon of proestrus. LHRHa completely eliminated, and oLH restored, the secretion of FSH at 0200 h in estrus. ADX reduced FSH serum concentration at 0200 h in estrus, and B reversed this effect in rats injected with LHRHa and oLH. The results of these experiments indicate that, in the rat, the LHRH-independent secretion of FSH during early estrus is evoked by the combined effects of the preovulatory surge of LH and the rise in serum B on proestrous afternoon.