Immune system disorders are often accompanied by alterations in the reproductive axis. The bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide or LPS) has central inflammatory effects, and activates cytokine release (immune system mediatory factors) in the hypothalamus, where the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone neurons are located. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of LPS on the pulsatile release of LH and FSH in adult male rats. With this aim, orchidectomized male rats were implanted with an atrial catheter and received, after two basal blood collections, LPS (250 microg/kg i.v.) or saline. Subsequently, blood samples were taken at regular intervals during 110 min. As expected, LH release was markedly reduced following exposure to LPS. In order to quantify these effects objectively, we subjected these data to PC-pulsar analysis. Pulsatile LH release was clearly disrupted in LPS-treated animals as compared to control rats: pulse frequency 1.3 +/- 0.3 versus 0.43 +/- 0.2/110 min, p < 0.05; pulse amplitude 17.18 +/- 2.2 versus 8.33 +/- 0.66 ng/ml, p < 0.05; overall mean release 15.2 +/- 0.75 versus 7.08 +/- 1.11 ng/ml, p < 0.001; maximum values 27.5 +/- 3.08 versus 9.95 +/- 2.16 ng/ml, p < 0.001; baseline levels 13.83 +/- 0.77 versus 6.55 +/- 0.74 ng/ml, p < 0.001. Regarding FSH secretion, LPS administration significantly lowered baseline levels (p < 0.05) and overall mean release (p < 0.01); FSH pulsatility parameters showed no significant differences. These observations indicate that LPS decreases LH and FSH mean release rates and baseline levels and inhibits several pulsatility parameters of LH release (frequency, amplitude and maximum values); FSH pulsatility parameters are not altered by LPS administration. We speculate that this effect is exerted principally at the hypothalamic level by modifying GnRH secretion.