In order to investigate the possible influence of prolactin (Prl) at the hypothalamic level, serum LH and FSH pulsatility was studied in 16 male patients with prolactinomas, normally LH responders to GnRH (group A): 8 of them were untreated (group A1) and 8 had undergone previous unsuccessful pituitary treatments (group A2). In 7 patients the study was repeated when serum Prl was normalized by bromocriptine treatment (group B). For comparison the secretory pattern of LH and FSH was studied in 6 male patients with non\x=req-\ secreting pituitary tumours (group C). All parameters of LH pulsatile secretion (i.e. arithmetic mean of the single concentration, coefficient of variation from the mean value, frequency of peaks, amplitude of pulses expressed as either absolute or per cent value) were significantly lower in patients of groups A1, A2 and C than in normal subjects and no difference was found between the three groups. Furthermore the 7 patients with prolactinomas studied both before and after bromocriptine-induced Prl normalization showed no difference in all the parameters of LH pulsatility in both conditions. No significant abnormalities of FSH secretory pattern were found in the patients of groups A1, A2, B and C in comparison to normal subjects. In all groups of patients mean serum testosterone basal levels were significantly lower than in normals, while the mean oestradiol-17\g=b\ basal concentration was normal. The abnormalities in LH pulsatility found in untreated and bromocriptine-treated patients with prolactinomas and in patients with non-secreting tumours indicate an impairment of GnRH release in such patients; these findings suggest that Prl excess is not the only cause of the abnormalities in LH pulsatile secretion.
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