Endocrinology, Vol 100, 1566-1570, Copyright © 1977 by Endocrine Society
The differential effects of exposure to tobacco smoke on the secretion of luteinizing hormone and prolactin in the proestrous rat
BK McLean, A Rubel and MB Nikitovitch-Winer
The acute effects of tobacco smoke inhalation on the spontaneous proestrous
rise in serum luteinizing hormone and prolactin have been investigated in
the female Wistar rat. It was found that the surge of LH normally seen
throughout the afternoon of proestrus was delayed by inhalation of tobacco
smoke and that the delay was dose-related to the nicotine content of the
cigarettes used in the experiment. In the case of prolactin neither the
timing nor the magnitude of the surge was altered when compared with
controls. These results suggest that under certain well-defined conditions
inhalation of tobacco smoke of known nicotine content is capable of
exerting profound influences on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
