The effect of acutely elevated blood glucose levels on luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone release following an intravenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection

Abstract

The effects of an acute blood glucose increase on the capacity of the pituitary gland to release gonadotropins (luteinzing hormone [LH] and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]) were studied in 21 women. Each woman received two intravenous challenges of 100 microgram of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH). Between these injections the blood glucose level was increased in 10 of the women by orally adminstering 100 gm of glucose. Although there were significantly higher blood glucose and plasma insulin levels in the latter group, the LH and FSH response to the second GNRH injection was not different. There was also no significant relationship between the basal blood glucose level and the gonadotropin (LH and FSH) response to GNRH. Acute elevations of blood glucose do not appear to alter the ability of the anterior pituitary cells to release gonadotropins.