THE EFFECT OF STEROIDS AND LACTONE DERIVATIVES ON HYPOPHYSEAL GONADOTROPHIN CONTENT1

Abstract

THE search for exogenously administered agents which will control pituitary gonadotrophic function has revealed that inhibition may be produced by estrogens, androgens and progesterone when large doses are given. Mild stimulation may result from administering small amounts of some of these steroids. Clinical application of these agents in instances where pituitary suppression or stimulation is desired is limited by their marked sex hormone effects. For example, it would be ideal to cut off pituitary stimulation to the ovary in endometriosis or premature puberty. However, (1) estrogens cannot be used because amounts large enough to suppress pituitary gonadotrophins aggravate these conditions; (2) androgens are limited in usefulness by their virilizing effects; and (3) the dosage of progesterone is too large to be practicable. No potent hypophyseal stimulator is known. Therefore, a number of substances unlikely to exhibit marked estrogenic or androgenic activity were screened to determine their ability to depress or stimulate hypophyseal gonadotrophic output,