RELATION OF THE FOLLICULAR AND CORPUS LUTEUM HORMONES IN THE PRODUCTION OF PROGESTATIONAL PROLIFERATION OF THE RABBIT'S UTERUS

Abstract

As a general rule sexually mature [female] rabbits were mated with normal bucks, their ovaries removed within the next few hrs. and a series of injections of corpus luteum extracts started and continued for 5 to 10 days. This procedure was, however, varied to bring out the relationship of the follicular and corpus luteum hormones in the pseudopregnant reaction by injecting each of these substances separately, simultaneously and successively into mature [female] castrates. The progestational proliferation characteristic of the rabbit uterus during pseudopregnancy appears to be the result of a combined effect of the follicular and corpus luteum hormones. The function of the follicular hormone seems to be to enable the uterus to respond to the corpus luteum hormone. Neither of these substances can produce progestational proliferation in the castrate uterus when given alone. If, however, the castrate uterus is first brought into the condition typical of estrum through the injection of follicular hormone and is followed immediately by corpus luteum treatment progestational proliferation results. It also seems that a quantitative relationship between the follicular and corpus luteum hormones must exist for the prolongation of the progestational picture over an extended period.