In vivo evidence that inhibin is a gonadotropin surge-inhibiting/attenuating factor.

Hyperstimulation of ovarian function through exogenous gonadotropin administration suppresses the preovulatory surges of both LH and FSH. This phenomenon has been demonstrated to be the result of a non-steroidal factor released from the ovary that has been designated as either gonadotropin surge-inhibiting factor or attenuating factor (GnSIF/AF). To examine the possibility that inhibin might possess the activity ascribed to this factor, endogenous inhibin was immunoneutralized in female rats under conditions known to stimulate GnSIF/AF activity. Inhibin-like immunoreactivity was found to be significantly elevated in FSH-treated rats prior to the time of the gonadotropin surges. Spontaneous preovulatory surges of both LH and FSH were observed in saline-treated (control) rats that were subsequently treated with either anti-inhibin serum (AS) or normal sheep serum (NS). FSH-treatment completely prevented the occurrence of gonadotropin surges in rats subsequently treated with NS. In FSH-injected rats subsequently treated with AS, however, normal preovulatory surges of both LH and FSH were observed. These results indicate that inhibin may be the factor responsible for the suppression of the preovulatory gonadotropin surges in FSH-treated rats and, at least in this species, may be a GnSIF/AF.