THE GONADOTROPIC HORMONES 



ectomy did not prevent ovulation due to injected pituitary 

 gonadotropic hormones; however, there appeared to be a re- 

 tardation of ovulation and interference with the subsequent 

 formation of corpora lutea (Friedgood and Foster, 1937). 



Pituitary implants may markedly prolong the lifeof adren- 

 alectomized young female rats. It is likely that this effect 

 is due to an indirect action on the ovaries: luteinization with 

 abnormal production of corpus luteum hormone occurs (Em- 

 ery and Schwabe, 1936; Cavanaugh and Gaunt, 1937). ^^ 



Several authors have declared that extract of the adrenal 

 glands can cause a moderate gonadotropic effect in rats." 

 Extract of the adrenal of the gelding or ox in a dose equiva- 

 lent to 114 mg. of dried gland was found by Deanesly (1935) 

 to cause oestrous changes in the uterus and enlarged or cystic 

 follicles in the ovaries of 3 of 10 immature rats. The experi- 

 ments of xAllen and Bourne (1936) are of little significance be- 

 cause their female rats were 56-70 days old when used. Fitz- 

 hugh (1937) believed that extract containing adrenal cortical 

 hormone causes a slight hypertrophy of the ovaries and uter- 

 us or a moderate atrophy of the testes of rats. In the female 

 rat the results were obtained by injecting extract on the 21-44 

 days of life. Hoffmann (1937) concluded that cortical ex- 

 tracts containing no cortical hormone cause a gonadotropic 

 effect or a potentiation of the action of prolan in immature 

 rats. The maximum effect appeared after 65 hours; the dose 

 used was equivalent to 600 mg. of dried adrenal cortex; the 

 substance responsible for the effect was insoluble in lipoid 

 solvents. Perhaps these effects, elicited with difficulty, are due 

 to an action on the pars glandularis. Corey (1937) was un- 



5* Swingle and others (1937) showed that anterior pituitary extract may prolong 

 the life of bilaterally adrenalectomized cats independently of sex or the gonads. 

 Also they found that the bitch during pseudopregnancy requires no adrenal cortical 

 hormone, although bilaterally adrenalectomized. Their negative results with pro- 

 gesterone in cats were perhaps due to insufficiently large doses. 



57 The secondary sexual organs of castrated, hypophysectomized rats may 

 respond to adrenal cortical stimulating hormone by a stimulation of growth (David- 

 son, 1937J. 



[97] 



