Recovery of gonadotropin synthesis/release and Gnrhr mRNA expression in the KNDy neuron-rescued female rats. (A) Plasma LH profiles in representative OVX few, moderately, and highly KNDy-rescued global Kiss1 KO rats and OVX AAV-EGFP–treated global Kiss1 KO control rats (Cont). Arrowheads indicate LH pulses identified with the PULSAR computer program. Mean LH concentration and the frequency and amplitude of LH pulses (B), the pituitary LH and FSH content (C), and the pituitary Lhb, Fshb, and Gnrhr mRNA expression (D) in the few, moderately, and highly KNDy-rescued rats and control rats. Values expressed in the bar graphs are mean ± SEM. Numbers in (or on) each column indicate the number of animals used. The values with different letters were significantly different from each other (P < 0.05) based on one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD test. Asterisk indicates statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the highly and moderately KNDy-rescued rats based on Welch's t test. Note that LH pulses were detected in zero out of five AAV-EGFP–treated Kiss1 KO control rats and in one out of three few KNDy-rescued rats. NA, not applicable.