LUTEAL MAINTENANCE IN THE HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED PSEUDOPREGNANT RABBIT: EFFECT OF OVINE LUTEINIZING HORMONE AND FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE

Abstract

SUMMARY Ovine luteinizing hormone (LH) (300 μg/day in divided subcutaneous doses) had a luteotrophic effect of limited duration in intact and hypophysectomized 10-day pseudopregnant rabbits (6–10 days in intact animals; 3–6 days in hypophysectomized animals). Higher dose levels caused reovulation in which case luteolysis occurred. Suppression of reovulation with anti-ovine follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) serum permitted the daily dose of LH to be raised to 750 μg without causing luteolysis or reovulation. Anti-LH serum was luteolytic in the intact animals. A combination of ovine FSH (200 μg) and LH (300 μg) was indistinguishable from LH alone in terms of its luteotrophic effect in hypophysectomized 10-day pseudopregnant rabbits. Ovine FSH at large daily dose levels (1000 μg) was more effectively luteotrophic than LH alone in a significant number of animals for 10 days after hypophysectomy: endometrial changes in these animals resembled those only seen in normal pregnancy. The luteotrophic effect of 1000 μg FSH was believed to be dependent on a small but significant content of LH, estimated to be about 10 μg. Ovine FSH and anti-FSH serum in intact pseudopregnant rabbits had no detectable effect on luteal function. Animals hypophysectomized at the 7th day and treated with 300 or 500 μg LH/day showed no luteal maintenance for 6 days nor was reovulation induced. Sensitivity to the luteotrophic effect of LH was deemed, therefore, to be greater at 10 than at 7 days of pseudopregnancy. Endometrial criteria were found to be reliable indicators of luteal function. The appearance of ciliated cells was correlated with the decline of the corpora lutea. When reovulation occurred, a new progestational cycle was rapidly superimposed on the existing one.