INDEPENDENCE OF LH AND ACTH RELEASE FROM THE RAT PITUITARY

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Abstract
Cyclic rats known to release LH between 2:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. on the day of procstrus were tested for simultaneous ACTH release by measurement of adrenal ascorbic acid concentration between 3:30 and 4:30 P.M. NO depletion of ascorbic acid occurred, indicating that ACTH is not released simultaneously with LH. Pentobarbital treatment at 2:00 P.M. did not cause significant adrenal ascorbic acid depletion in rats of different cycle stages. Therefore, the ability of pentobarbital at 2:00 P.M. to block LH release in proestrous rats is not the result of a non-specific “stressing” action as has been suggested in the literature.