 Neena B. Schwartz |
Why I was Told not to Study Inhibin and What I
did about it Click here to find out! My Life Story |
Neena B. Schwartz |
Why I was Told not to Study Inhibin and What I
did about it Click here to find out! My Life Story |
Research Interests
Dual control of secretion of the gonadotropic hormones of the anterior pituitary gland
Our laboratory pioneered in demonstrating that estradiol and progesterone are inadequate negative feedbacks for suppression of the gonadotropic follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the female lacking ovaries and discovered a gonadal peptide called inhibin, necessary for proper suppression of FSH. We have employed antagonists to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) - a well-established and necessary signal from the hypothalamus - to demonstrate relative lack of dependence on endogenous GnRH of FSH in males and females. We are investigating, in an in vitro perifusion system, sex differences in hypothalamic and pituitary secretion. Another discovery is that glucocorticoid hormones from the adrenal differentially affect the gonadotropins luteinizing hormone (LH) and FSH in vivo or in vitro, suppressing LH secretion and enhancing FSH synthesis and secretion. We have expanded these studies to measurement of mRNA for the gonadotropin subunits and to direct testing of glucocorticoid action on the rat FSHß gene. Finally, we are studying the regulation of FSH secretion by RU486, which antagonizes progesterone. These studies have led us to measurements of mRNA for the progesterone receptor forms A and B in the pituitary during the cycle. All of these in vivo and in vitro studies are directed toward understanding the neuroendocrinology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Schwartz, N.B. Follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone: a tale of two gonadotropins. Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 73(6):675-684, 1995
Ringstrom, S.J., Szabo, M., Kilen, S.M., Saberi, S., Knox, K.L. and Schwartz, N.B. The antiprogestins RU486 and ZK98299 affect follicle-stimulating hormone secretion differentially on estrus, but not on proestrus. Endocrinology 138:2286-2290, 1997.
Szabo, M., Kilen, S.M., Saberi, S., Ringstrom, S.J. and Schwartz, N.B. Antiprogestins suppress basal and activin-stimulated follicle-stimulating hormone secretion in an estrogen-dependent manner. Endocrinology 139:2223-2228, 1998.
Schwartz, N.B., Szabo, M., Verina, T., Wei, J.J., Dlouhy, S., Won, L., Heller A., Hodes, M.E. and Ghetti, B. The hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal-axis in the mutant weaver mouse. Neuroendocrinology, 68:374-385, 1998
Szabo, M., Kilen, S.M., Nho, J. and Schwartz, N.B. Progesterone receptor A and B messenger ribonucleic acid levels in the anterior pituitary of rats are regulated by estrogen. Biol. Reprod., 62:95-102-, 2000.
Bohnsack, B.L., Kilen, S.M., Tam. D.H.Y. and Schwartz, N.B. Follistatin suppresses steroid-enhanced follicle-stimulating hormone release in vitro. Biol. Reprod., 62:636-641, 2000.
Hood, Susan C.H. and Schwartz, N.B. Sex difference in serum luteinizing hormone postgonadectomy in the rat. Endocrine, 12:35-40, 2000.