SOME BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF A POTENT FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE PREPARATION

Abstract

A preparation of ovine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which is approximately 50 times as active as NIH-FSH-S1 has been tested in hypophysectomized male and female rats and found to be a potent steroidogenic factor. Contamination of the FSH preparation with interstitial cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH, LH) was found to be very low (0.006-0.016 unit/mg) and could not account for the observed activity. In addition, treatment of the FSH preparation with 6 M urea and neuraminidase indicates that the steroidogenic activity is either an intrinsic property of the FSH molecule or a discrete entity which differs chemically from ICSH.