Detection of messenger RNA for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) but not for GnRH receptors

Although gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), GnRH-like molecule, and GnRH receptor (GnRH-R) have been reported to exist in several tissues other than brain or anterior pituitary, there are no reports concerning GnRH or GnRH-R gene expression in a normal pancreatic gland. In order to define the production of GnRH as well as GnRH-R in the pancreatic gland, we examined their gene expression in various developmental stages of rat pancreas using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). GnRH mRNA transcripts were found in pancreas of male and female rats at different ages, expressing at about the same level, whereas GnRH-R mRNA transcripts could not be detected in any rat pancreatic gland samples. These results suggest a possible biological role of GnRH in rodent pancreas.