LUTEINIZING HORMONE RELEASING ACTIVITY OF CRUDE OVINE HYPOTHALAMIC EXTRACT IN MAN

A Hypothalmic luteinizing hormone releasing factor, which is active in rats and rabbits, has been purified and separated from other hypothalamic factors which control the function of the adenohypophysis1. In order to determine whether hypothalamic extracts of animal origin were capable of stimulating the release of pituitary hormones in man, a crude, thioglycollate-treated extract of ovine stalk-median eminence was administered to three children. This material elicited an increase in the plasma concentration of immunoassayable luteinizing hormone in each subject. The investigation was initiated to study the effect of such extracts on plasma growth hormone concentrations because of the potential use of these materials in patients with hypopituitarism secondary to hypothalamic dysfunction. A preliminary report of this aspect of the study has been presented2. © 1969 Nature Publishing Group.