In vitro effects of ethanol on primate luteal membranes: Exposure of additional gonadotropin receptor sites

The presence of 0.8–8.0% (vol/vol) ethanol increased the specific binding of [¹²⁵I]human luteinizing hormone (hLH) to membrane particulate fractions prepared from the rhesus monkey corpus luteum in a dose-dependent manner. Ethanol increased the number of available gonadotropin binding sites without altering their affinity for LH. These results suggest that (1) there are additional gonadotropin receptors in the macaque corpus luteum which are not detected by conventional in vitro techniques, and (2) ethanol exposes receptors previously unavailable for hormone interaction.