ESTROGENS IN THE OVARIAN FLUIDS OF NORMALLY MENSTRUATING WOMEN1

Abstract

Fluid from the ovaries of normally menstruating women was collected and pooled in 2 lots, on the basis of menstrual dates and endometrial biopsies one representing the proliferative phase of the cycle and the other the '' secretory phase. A steroid extract of each lot, to which trace amounts of radioactive estradiol, estrone and estriol had been added as internal standards, was purified by column chromatography, paper chromatography, methylation, and column and paper chromatography of the methyl ethers. Fluorescence and radioactivity were measured at each step. Estriadiol 17[beta] and estrone were identified in both extracts. Estriol was identified in the extract of fluid collected during the luteal phase, but was not found in that of the proliferative. phase. The biological activity of the luteal phase pool was entirely accounted for by its estimated content of estradiol, estrone and estriol, while only 40% of the biological activity of the proliferative phase pool was thus accounted for. Both contained many unidentified phenolic steroids.