%0 Journal Article %9 journal article %J Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences %@ 1230-1388 %V 22 %N 2 %D 2013 %F Haziak2013 %T The effect of LPS on LH release and gene expression of LH-β, GnRH-R and TLR4 in the anterior pituitary of follicular phase ewes – an in vitro study %X The study was designed to determine the in vitro effect of bacterial endotoxin – lipopolysaccharide (LPS) – on luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion from anterior pituitary (AP) explants collected from saline-treated ‘healthy’ and LPS-treated ewes in the follicular phase. In the AP explants, the expression of LH-β , gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor ( GnRH-R ) and Toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4 ) genes was also assayed. It was found that explants incubated alone with LPS, as well as together with LPS-binding protein (LBP), abolished the stimulatory effect of GnRH on LH release. LPS added without LBP did not suppress LH-β gene expression in ‘healthy’ APs, however. Moreover, LBP intensified the inhibitory effect of LPS on gene expression in ‘healthy’ APs. These results show that LPS is a potent negative modulator of LH secretion and suggest that its direct action on the pituitary gland could be one of the mechanisms via which an immune/inflammatory challenge inhibits the reproductive process. %A Haziak, K. %A Herman, A. P. %A Tomaszewska-Zaremba, D. %P 97-105 %R 10.22358/jafs/65999/2013 %U https://doi.org/10.22358/jafs/65999/2013