Basal and pulsatile secretion of human luteinizing hormone--new methods for the analysis of endocrine secretion processes.

Serum concentrations of hormones show typical time-dependent patterns. The diurnal course of the serum concentrations of the luteinizing hormone (LH) was assessed in 35 healthy females monitoring individual concentrations every ten minutes for 24 hours during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle. Based on these in vivo data, a mathematical procedure was developed for calculation of the momentary hormone secretion rate of an endocrine gland from the time course of the hormone serum concentrations. By means of this procedure, we were able to define the complete 24 hours secretion pattern of LH, including the fact, that basal and pulsatile secretion could be separated from each other in an objective manner. It is possible to calculate the total amount of LH which is secreted per LH-pulse and the basal LH-secretion rate. Two methods were developed to define the time of the onset of an LH-pulse with a preselected probability. Describing the hormonal secretion pattern with a mathematical model provides the basis for therapeutic application of these methods to program implantable hormone-pumps for the therapy of glandular insufficiency.