This study compares the selective effect of androgens on luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release induced either by LH-releasing hormone (LH-RH) or by protein kinase C activation in rat anterior pituitary cells in culture. In control cells, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) stimulated the release of radioimmunoassayable LH and FSH in a dose-dependent manner at an ED50 value of 5.95 +/- 1.45 nM. The maximal release of gonadotropins induced during a 3-hour incubation with PMA was 40-60% of that induced by LH-RH. Preincubation of the cells for 2-4 days with 10 nM 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) decreased by approximately 60% the subsequent release of LH induced by 100 nM LH-RH or by 500 nM PMA during a subsequent 3-hour incubation. The inhibitory effect of DHT was completely suppressed by coincubation with the antiandrogen hydroxyflutamide. DHT exerted a similar inhibitory effect on LH release induced by another stimulator of protein kinase C activity, namely 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol. The potent inhibitory action of DHT on LH-RH- or PMA-induced LH release was exerted at an ED50 value of approximately 10 pM. Contrary to the effect on LH, the FSH response to LH-RH or to PMA was increased by preincubation with 2 nM DHT, the stimulatory effect of the androgen being completely antagonized by hydroxyflutamide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)