Ovarian and neuroendocrine impairments were examined before and after the age-correlated loss of estrous cycles in C57BL/6J female mice. The role of ovarian secretions in inducing neuroendocrine impairments before and after the loss of estrous cycles was also examined by determining neuroendocrine impairments after prolonged ovariectomy. Young (6-month-old) cycling, middle-aged (12-, 14-, and 16-month-old) cycling or acyclic, and old (18-month-old) acyclic mice were used. Ovarian impairments were assessed by grafting old ovaries into young hosts. Neuroendocrine impairments were assessed by grafting young ovaries into middle-aged and old hosts, ovariectomized either at grafting or 2 months before, and by inducing a LH surge in mice that had been ovariectomized for 4 days, 1 month, or 2 months. One group of 16-month-old and one group of 18-month-old mice were also ovariectomized at 6 months of age; these groups were used to examine the steroid-induced LH surge. The LH surge was induced by inserting sc a single priming estradiol (E2) implant, followed by two more (surge-inducing) implants 6 days later; 33 h after the second implantation, mice were decapitated (1800 h). The number of estrous cycles supported by middle-aged and old ovaries grafted into young hosts was reduced by more than 90% compared with that in young ovaries. The number of estrous cycles supported by middle-aged and old hosts given young ovarian grafts was reduced by 60% and 90%, respectively, compared with that in young hosts. Middle-aged and old hosts also had progressively longer estrous cycles than young hosts. Levels of the E2-induced LH surge in middle-aged and old mice were also reduced by 60% and 90%, respectively, compared with levels in young mice. In old acyclic mice, ovariectomy for 2 months partially reversed impairments in the LH surge and partially restored the ability to support cycles with young grafts; these functions, normally 90% impaired in old mice, were only 60% impaired after prolonged ovariectomy. Moreover, ovariectomy 2 months before grafting in old hosts resulted in shorter estrous cycles and 60% fewer pituitary adenomas. In middle-aged cycling mice, ovariectomy for 2 months did not affect impairments in the LH surge or in the ability to support estrous cycles with young grafts; these functions remained 60% impaired in middle-aged mice ovariectomized for 2 months. If mice were ovariectomized when young, the age-correlated impairments of the E2-induced LH surge at 16 months were largely prevented.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)