Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) surge generator in female rats

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In rats, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) expressing neurons, which control luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) secretions from the anterior pituitary, are mainly located in the preoptic area (POA), but some GnRH-I neurons are also found in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) in rats. One of most remarkable characteristics of GnRH neurons is that they do not originate from the hypothalamus but from the olfactory placode and migrate toward the hypothalamus during developmental stages. Another interesting characteristic is their secretion patterns. Secretion of LH, which is assumed to reflect GnRH secretion from the hypothalamus into the portal vein, shows two remarkably different patterns. The chapter has hypothesized two patterns of GnRH secretion that are controlled by different neural mechanisms: (1) the GnRH pulse generator, previously known as the tonic center, and (2) the GnRH surge generator, previously known as the phasic or the cyclic center. This chapter focuses on the putative GnRH surge generator of female rats.

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