[An image analysis of the morphological changes of LH cells during LH release peak induced by LHRH in male rats].

ABSTRACT

The relationship between the peak of LH release induced by exogenous LHRH and morphological change of LH cells in male rats was investigated by ABC Affinity histochemistry and qualitatively characterized by Medical Image Processing System-I. The serum LH concentration was determined by RIA. During the period of basal secretion of LH (3.76 +/- 0.39 ng/ml), the LH cells might be assigned at a storage state. Most of such cells (56.7%) are round and large, and their cross sectional areas are larger then 340 micron 2, usually containing large vacuoles, while the smaller cells of X-sectional area less then 190 micron 2 counted only 2% of the total population. Thirty minutes after injection of LHRH the serum LH level increased significantly (6.46 +/- 1.6 ng/ml, P < 0.01), there appeared a lot of small angular cells, the average cross sectional areas of LH cells decreased significantly (P < 0.0001). When LHRH was injected at sixty minutes, the LH level reached a peak (18.78 +/- 0.79 ng/ml), the number of the large cells decreased to only 4%, while the small cells increased to 66%, vacuoles were almost disapperanced and a large part of cells (52.6%) became irregular. Thereafter, the LH serum gradually subsided to its original basal level with attendant resumption of the morphology of the LH cells at storage state. It appears that the morphological changes, such as size, shape, vacuoles and so on, of the LH cells may serve as an important index for showing the effect of LHRH on LH secretion.