Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone I (LHRH-I) and its metabolite in peripheral tissues.

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) was first isolated in the mammalian hypothalamus and shown to be the primary regulator of the reproductive system through its initiation of pituitary gonadotropin release. Since its discovery, this form of LHRH (LHRH-I) has been shown to be one of many structural variants with a variety of roles in both the brain and peripheral tissues. Enormous interest has been focused on LHRH-I and LHRH-II and their cognate receptors as targets for designing therapies to treat cancers of the reproductive system.

A processed metabolite of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone has proliferative effects in endometrial cells.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the possible role of the processed peptide of LHRH, LHRH-(1-5), in regulating growth of endometrial cancer cells.

Study Design: An endometrial cancer cell line, the Ishikawa cell line, was cultured under standard conditions and treated in a dose-dependent manner with 1 of 2 hormones, LHRH and LHRH-(1-5) to determine the ability of these peptides to regulate cellular growth. A tetrazolium-based assay was used to determine the effect these peptides have on cell proliferation.