EXPERIMENTAL DECIDUOMA IN SPAYED RATS WITH OVARIAN TISSUE AUTOGRAFTED INTO THE SPLEEN

Abstract

At 2 months of age attempts were made to produce experimental traumatic deciduoma in rats spayed at 3 weeks of age. In some animals autotransplantation of ovarian tissue into the spleen was performed at the time of spaying. Microscopic deciduomas developed in 5 of the 10 animals with transplanted tissue but in none of those without any transplants. In the animals with transplanted tissue estrogen priming favored the forming of deciduomas which then became macroscopically visible. In animals without a transplant treatment with progesterone produced deciduomas, but here again the effect was enhanced by estrogen priming. It was concluded that luteinized ovarian tissue in the spleen produces progesterone and that at least some of it passes through the liver into the general circulation, where it is still biologically active.