EFFECT OF DEPLETION OF BRAIN NORADRENALINE ON PLASMA FSH AND GROWTH-HORMONE LEVELS IN OVARIECTOMIZED RATS

The electrolytic lesion of locus coeruleus reduced the hypothalamic noradrenaline (NE) content to 28% of the control values and resulted in a aspartic acid the plasma FSH level in ovariectomized rats before puberty. The local microinjection of 6-OH-dopamine into the locus coeruleus led to a reduction in the hypothalamic NE content to 21% of the control level and induced a decrease of the compensatory ovarian hypertrophy and that of the plasma FSH level. The electrolytic lesion of the locus coeruleus or the 6-OH-dopamine treatment failed to influence the plasma growth hormone (GH) level. The observations support the hypothesis that ventral noradrenergic projection is involved in controlling the pituitary FSH secretion.