THE USE OF XENOPUS LAEVIS, BUFO BUFO AND RANA ESCULENTA AS TEST ANIMALS FOR GONADOTROPHIC HORMONES

Abstract

A review on the male batrachian spermiation test and the female Xenopus laevis test. For the male batrachian test only one sp. (X. laevis) proved unsuitable, not because of failure of the reaction, but because of the many false positive and spontaneously positive reactions which have been observed. The different reaction to epinephrine in X. laevis and Rana pipiens as compared with Bufo arenarum also suggests that differences exist between the spp. The spermiation reaction has received its most widespread use as a simple qualitative pregnancy test and apparently with full justification: it is, when used in the 1st trimester of pregnancy as accurate or nearly as accurate as the Aschheim-Zondek or the Friedman reactions; the speed of the test is astonishing (2-3 hrs.), it is cheap and easy to perform and read. In addition, it can be used as a quantitative test for chorionic gonadotropin, which, together with its rapidity, is especially useful in pathological conditions such as abortions, ectopic pregnancy and chorio-epithelioma. Although the female X. laevis ovulation test has shown itself a reliable and practical help in pregnancy diagnosis it has certain disadvantages which probably will limit its use as compared with the male batrachian spermiation test.