THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FLUSHINGS FROM RAT UTERI WITH AND WITHOUT INTRA-UTERINE DEVICES

Abstract

SUMMARY Saline flushings from the uterine horns of rats with unilateral silk sutures (IUD's) were obtained at pro-oestrus, oestrus and on Day 5 of pseudopregnancy, and examined chemically. Protein and reducing sugar were invariably present and significantly increased in horns containing an IUD. The number of protein bands identified by disc electrophoresis varied between individual animals, but showed no marked differences between the experimental and control horns at either pro-oestrus or oestrus. Among enzymes, amylase activity was consistently raised on the IUD side compared with the control side; it was also significantly higher in the IUD horn during pseudopregnancy than in the control horns at pro-oestrus and oestrus. Lysozyme activity was found at pro-oestrus in IUD horns but not in the control horns; at oestrus and during pseudopregnancy little activity was measurable. Proteinase activity, using haemoglobin as substrate, was significantly increased in IUD horns at acid pH, but undetectable at pH 7·7; with casein as substrate at pH 7·7, activity was usually present but did not vary significantly between the two sides. Trypsin activity was also measurable at pH 7·7, but was unchanged in the presence of an IUD. Ribonuclease and phosphatase were usually detectable at pro-oestrus and oestrus, but their activities were not significantly altered by an IUD; on Day 5 of pseudopregnancy, however, much lower levels were found in both horns. Neither hyaluronidase nor neuraminidase could be detected in any flushings assayed. The possible biological implications of these findings are discussed.