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Department of Anatomy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, U.S.A.

(Received 15 July 1975)

Radioimmunoassay of luteinizing hormone (LH) in sequential blood samples collected continuously over 2–12 min periods from ovariectomized (OVX) rats has shown the concentration of LH in blood to fluctuate at high levels in a pulsatile rhythm (Gay & Sheth, 1972). The present study investigates whether plasma prolactin fluctuates regularly at low levels in OVX rats.

Sprague–Dawley rats kept in a room with the lights on from 05.00 to 19.00 h were ovariectomized and used 12–16 weeks later. A cannula was inserted into the right atrium (Terkel, 1972) before 10.00 h. At this time or 3 days later rats were placed in separate buckets containing food and water. Blood (0·3 ml) was withdrawn through the cannulae and replaced with heparinized saline over a 60 s period at 10 min intervals from 17.00 to 18.00 h