Fig. 1.

GnRH and NMDA mRNA in representative cytoplasmic samples from rats during normal and precocious puberty. Rats were treated with NMA or saline (control) twice daily beginning on P25. Levels of GnRH, NMDA-R1, and cyclophilin were measured simultaneously in individual POA-AH dissections by RNase protection assay; a representative single cytoplasmic POA-AH fraction for both treatment groups at each postnatal age is shown. On the left is a standard curve with increasing amounts of reference RNA for the three RNA species. The specific protected bands for GnRH, NMDA-R1, and cyclophilin are indicated by arrows on the far left. GnRH mRNA levels increased during puberty; this was accelerated by treatment with NMA. No changes in NMDA-R1 or cyclophilin mRNA were observed between P25 and P41.