After initial GnRH pretreatment (10 nM, 5 h), subsequent GnRH-stimulated LH release from the gonadotrope was diminished (1 microM GnRH stimulated release of 36.4 +/- 1.4% total cellular LH over 3 h in cells initially pretreated with medium alone compared to 27.4 +/- 1.2% in GnRH-pretreated cells); however, inositol phosphate (IP) production in response to the releasing hormone remained unaffected (1 microM GnRH provoked IP accumulation of 161 +/- 9% above basal levels after 45 min in control cells and 162 +/- 11% in GnRH-pretreated cells). Pretreatment of pituitary cell cultures with NaF (a guanyl nucleotide binding protein activator, 10 mM, 3 h) also decreased subsequent GnRH-stimulated LH release, and in addition, provoked a decrease in GnRH receptor number, an increase in GnRH receptor affinity, reduction of GnRH-stimulated IP production to basal levels, and an increase in the amount of LH released in response to stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187. In order to determine if the changes in LH release were a result of decreased IP production and/or decreased GnRH receptor binding, the time course of recovery to control levels of these processes was assessed. GnRH receptor binding continued to decrease after NaF pretreatment, reaching a nadir (62% of control) at 6 h after the pretreatment period and recovering at 48 h (90% of control). In contrast, GnRH-provoked IP accumulation did not return to control levels even after 48 h of recovery after NaF pretreatment (1 microM GnRH-stimulated IP accumulation in NaF-pretreated cells was 57% compared to control cells after 48 h of recovery). GnRH-stimulated LH release was inhibited immediately after NaF pretreatment (1 microM GnRH-stimulated LH release in NaF-pretreated cells was 65% of control levels). Cells began to recover within 3 h (80% of control) and were almost completely recovered by 6 h (90% of control). A23187-provoked LH release was enhanced immediately after NaF pretreatment (30 microM A23187-stimulated LH release in NaF-pretreated cells was 170% of control levels). Responsiveness to ionophore was 133% of control by 0.5 h, and complete recovery was measured within 1 h (100% of control). Furthermore, both NaF and GnRH pretreatment still provoked a decrease in gonadotrope responsiveness when IP production was inhibited by the phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122. The results suggest that the development of gonadotrope desensitization (by either NaF or GnRH pretreatment) can be uncoupled from changes in IP production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)