Physiology and Pharmacology of LHRH and Somatostatin

In this review I will try to give a brief account of the current status of two of the hypothalamic peptides which were characterized on the basis of their actions on the anterior pituitary gland. The literature on this subject is vast and this review will not list all of the pUblications. In a number of cases we will refer to previous recent reviews. Both of these peptides have now been shown to have a much wider spectrum of action than originally envisioned. Somatostatin acts as an inhibitory peptide in many bodily systems, whereas luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) appears to have wide­ spread actions throughout the reproductive tract. For other references, the reader is referred to several excellent recent reviews (1-3).