Eur J Endocrinol
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DOI: 10.1530/eje.0.1300617
European Journal of Endocrinology, Vol 130, Issue 6, 617-624
Copyright © 1994 by European Society of Endocrinology
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Role of the serotoninergic system in the control of gonadotropin secretion in prepubertal male rats

Leonor Pinilla, Antonio Ranchal, Rafaela Aguilar and Enrique Aguilar

Pinilla L, Ranchal A, Aguilar R, Aguilar E. Role of the serotoninergic system in the control of gonadotropin secretion in prepubertal male rats. Eur J Endocrinol 1994;130:617–24. ISSN 0804–4643

To analyze the role of brain serotonin in the control of gonadotropin secretion in prepubertal males, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were studied at different ages after administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor of serotonin synthesis, alone or in combination with fluoxetine, a specific inhibitor of serotonin uptake; 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a serotonin 1A agonist; or D.L-p-chlorophenylalanine methyl ester hydrochloride (PCPA), an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis. Also, serum gonadotropin concentrations were measured in castrated males implanted with silastic capsules containing testosterone or 5{alpha}-androstane-3{alpha}, 17β-diol ({alpha}-diol). We found that: (i) the blockade of the serotoninergic system after PCPA administration did not modify basal gonadotropin secretion but did strongly reduce the response to orchidectomy; (ii) a stimulatory effect of 5-HTP on FSH secretion was only observed in intact males at the age of 8 days; (iii) the serotonin 1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT did not change serum gonadotropin concentrations; (iv) 5-HTP increased serum FSH and LH concentrations in 16-day-old castrated males; (v) FSH and LH serum concentrations decreased after 5-HTP in castrated animals implanted with testosterone, whereas castrated animals implanted with {alpha}-diol showed, like the intact males, a lack of response to 5-HTP. The main conclusions of our work are: (i) the serotoninergic system does not play a major role in the control of gonadotropin secretion in intact prepubertal male rats; (ii) after removal of the testes (s), and with increased FSH and LH serum concentrations, a clear stimulatory action was observed, suggesting that this stimulatory effect is normally masked when gonadotropin secretion is low; (iii) testosterone and its reduced metabolite {alpha}-diol affected differently the role of the serotoninergic system on gonadotropin secretion. After 5-HTP administration, gonadotropin secretion was inhibited in castrated males treated with testosterone, while no changes were observed in castrated males treated with {alpha}-diol.

Enrique Aguilar, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Córdoba, E-14004, Spain




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M A Aragon, M E Ayala, M Marin, A Aviles, P Damian-Matsumura, and R Dominguez
Serotoninergic system blockage in the prepubertal rat inhibits spermatogenesis development
Reproduction, June 1, 2005; 129(6): 717 - 727.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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