Summary
Ovine pineal glands (PGs, n = 168), cerebral cortex (C) and stalk-median eminences
(SMEs) were obtained fresh from slaughterhouse sheep and mature ewes during the estrous
cycle. Tissues were extracted in 2N acetic acid (aa) followed by either glacial aa
or ethanol. Portions of the preparations were further subjected to gel filtration
using Sephadex G-25. Neutralized extracts were assayed for LHRH using radioimmunoassay.
LHRH immunoreactivity was consistantly detected in the various extracts, ranging from
7-150 pg/PG (0.1-1.7 pg/mg), 0.1-0.3 pg/mg C and 35-72 ng/SME (0.7-1.4 ng/mg). Slopes
of binding displacement regression lines for the preparations were not different from
that of synthetic LHRH. Chromatographic elution profiles for preparations of SMEs
and PGs were similar and the bulk of immunoreactivity eluted in a position coincident
with that of synthetic LHRH. Immunoreactivity in cortical extracts ran in advance
of the others. PG contents of LHRH immunoreactivity were similar during the estrous
cycle.
Key-Words
Pineal Glands
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LHRH
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Sheep
