Serum gonadotropin levels in mature male goldfish in response to luteinizing hormone – releasing hormone (LH-RH) and des-Gly10-[D-Ala6]-LH-RH ethylamide

Abstract

Sexually mature male goldfish, acclimated to 12–14 °C, were injected intraperitoneally with luteinizing hormone – releasing hormone (LH-RH) or the superactive analogue des-Gly¹⁰-[D-Ala⁶]-LH-RH ethylamide (G-A-LH-RH-E). Treatments were a single injection, two injections 12 h apart, and three injections 24 h apart at dosages of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 μg/g body weight. Blood samples were taken at 1 or 1.5, 6, and 24 h after the last injection for measurement of serum gonadotropin (GtH) by radioimmunoassay. Serum GtH levels were highest following two injections of LH-RH or G-A-LH-RH-E given 12 h apart; a single injection of the peptides produced the smallest change in GtH levels. The analogue caused a response of longer duration than did LH-RH in certain circumstances. The data also demonstrate that self-potentiation and self-suppression of response can occur under certain treatment conditions with LH-RH and the analogue.