Modulation of the Lordosis Reflex of Female Rats by LHRH, Its Antiserum and Analogs in the Mesencephalic Central Gray

Effects of intracerebral infusion of LHRH and related compounds on the lordosis reflex were examined in ovariectomized, estrogen-treated female rats. Lordosis, triggered either by manual cutaneous stimulation or by male mounting, was facilitated by the infusion of LHRH dissolved in saline into the mesencephalic central gray at midcollicular levels (CG). Infusion of an anti-LHRH globulin into the CG disrupted lordosis. Pretreatment with estrogen was necessary to obtain the behavioral facilitation by LHRH infusion. In separate experiments, placement of cannulae containing LHRH in an agar-saline gel in the CG also facilitated lordosis behavior. LHRH analogs applied to the CG by this method showed a clear dissociation between their behavioral effects and their reported effects on LH release. Cellular mechanisms involved in the mediation of LHRH effect in midbrain for the facilitation of lordosis may be different from those in gonadotrophs for LH release.