THE EFFECTS OF EXTRACTS OF PREGNANT MARE SERUM AND HUMAN PREGNANCY URINE ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM OF HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED FEMALE RATS

Abstract

In a preceding paper [Liu and Noble, 1939] it has been shown that in male hypophysectomized rats, extracts of both pregnant mare serum and pregnancy urine were capable of exerting a marked effect on the testes as well as on the accessory sex organs. In the present experiments it was attempted to determine how far the results obtained on the male were comparable with those on the female hypophysectomized rats under similar experimental conditions. Methods The experimental procedure was the same as previously reported [1939]. Vaginal smears were made daily to determine the oestrogenic activity. In mating experiments, normal males were placed with the hypophysectomized females at 2 weeks after the commencement of treatment. Results Hypophysectomized controls. As shown in Table I, the rate of atrophy of ovaries and uteri of hypophysectomized rats was gradual up to 6 weeks after operation. After that time very little further decline in weight