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Luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin are released in pulses which are relatively synchronous in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in women. The concordance of LH and prolactin pulses in normal men has not been reported. The objectives of this study were firstly to determine whether LH and prolactin pulses are synchronous in men, and secondly to examine the effects of naloxone and a new orally active opiate antagonist, nalmefene, on LH and prolactin release in men. Three groups of normal male subjects received saline infusion (control n = 5), naloxone infusion (2 mg/h; n = 5) or nalmefene (10 mg p.o.; n = 6). Blood samples were collected every 15 min for 2 h before and 6 h after study medication for determination of LH, prolactin and testosterone by radioimmunoassay. Both naloxone and nalmefene resulted in a significant increase in LH pulse frequency and in mean serum LH and testosterone concentrations with no change in LH pulse amplitude, prolactin pulse frequency or amplitude. In controls, 61% of LH pulses were synchronous with prolactin pulses. There was a decrease in concomitance of LH and prolactin pulses with naloxone (48%) and nalmefene (24%; P < 0.025) administration. In contrast, 52% of prolactin pulses were concomitant with LH pulses in controls, while naloxone (100%) but not nalmefene (67%) resulted in a significant (P < 0.01) increase in pulse synchrony. The difference observed between naloxone and nalmefene on prolactin--LH pulse synchrony is probably due to differential opioid receptor activity at the pituitary and hypothalamic level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)