OESTROGENIC AND GONADOTROPHIC SUBSTANCES IN THE URINE FROM A WOMAN WITH NORMAL MENSTRUAL CYCLES AND NORMAL PREGNANCIES

Abstract

The study includes the urinary excretion of estrogens and gonadotrophins in a young woman over a period of 2 yrs, and again 5 yrs. later, over a period of 10 months. Two normal pregnancies occurred during that time. During pregnancy, the hormonal levels were detd. in untreated urine; otherwise after tannic acid precipitation for gonadotrophins, and after combined acid hydrolysis and CCl4 extraction in the case of extrogens. The gonadotrophins were assayed in infantile rats, the extrogens in adult spayed mice. During normal menstrual cycles, the level of estrogens varied from 8 to 360 M.U./day. It was lowest during the mentrual period. 12 of 24 cyclic periods showed 2 maxima in excretion, at about the 12th and 21st days, respectively (range 44-157 M.U./day). The urinary excretion of gonadotrophins varied from 2 to 25 R.U./day with a max. on the 11th day of the cycles. At the onset of pregnancy, a definite rise in gonadotrophins was detected as early as the 20th day of the cycle. The estrogen excretion was fairly constant at a level of 200-400 M.U. During pregnancy, 2 maxima of gonadotrophin excretion were found, on the 51st-67th day and on the 183d day in the 1st pregnancy, and on the 42nd and 253d day in the 2d pregnancy. The 2d rise occurred.shortly before parturition and was of short duration. The excretion of estrogens during pregnancy (free estrogenic activity without acid hydrolysis) increased from 200-300 M.U./day at the beginning to 5000-8000 M.U./day shortly before parturition. During lactation amenorrhea, the excretion of estrogens and gonadotrophins fell to low levels for 2 weeks.