STUDIES ON THE BIOLOGIC CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN GONADOTROPINS. I. HUMAN PITUITARY GONADOTROPIN FROM URINE OF NORMAL MEN, AND POSTMENOPAUSAL AND CASTRATED WOMEN*

Abstract

Human pituitary gonadotropin (HPG) was prepared from urine of men and of postmenopausal and castrated women by the kaolin-acetone procedure. These 3 preparations were tested by four-point to ten-point assays, using 2 to 5 animals per point. In addition, HPG prepared by ultrafiltration of urine of castrated women was tested. The assay system employed was the simultaneous response of the ovary and uterus of the immature rat. The parameters of the assay system consisted of the slopes of the ovarian and uterine responses and the dose ratios obtained from the intercepts of the ovarian and uterine dose-response curves at both the control value and at a level equal to 100 percent more than the control value. It was found that the parameters for HPG prepared from the urine of males and of postmenopausal and castrated women by the same process did not differ. Furthermore, the same parameters were found for HPG prepared from urine of castrated women by 2 different methods.