§ 4 



REACTION TO GLANDULAR EXTRACTS 



27 



urine. Blood, cystic fluid and follicular fluid produced pro- 

 gesterone-like reactions. Urine produced typical ovipositor- 

 growth-curves, which we attributed to the action of a sub- 

 stance we have called luteidin (vide p. 35). 



a. The reaction to testis-exttacts. We know that the 

 testis contains testosterone, and also estrogenic substances. It 

 might, therefore, be expected that the curve showing the 

 growth of the ovipositor would be either of an androgenic 

 or an estrogenic type, or a combination of both. The growth- 

 curve obtained with an aqueous extract from the testis of a 

 stallion (Fig. 32), shows quite a different growth-curve. 



A.U. 



2 4 6 e to ^ 12 



hours 



Fig. 32. Ovipositor growth curves after administration of 

 aqueous testis-extract. 



whose latent period is 2 hours. Since estrogenic substances 

 all show a latent period of 5 5^ hours, the growth of the 

 ovipositor cannot be explained in this way. The growth- 

 curve further lacks the sharp bend at the 5}^ hours' point, 

 typical of natural androgenic hormones. Moreover, the 

 growth manifesting itself 5 >^ hours after the administration 

 of the extract is greater than could possibly be obtained by 

 the combined activity of the androgenic and estrogenic hor- 

 mones present in 10 g of testis tissue. The element active in 

 the ovipositor test cannot, therefore, be either testosterone or 

 estrogenic hormone. To judge from the shape of the growth- 

 curve, a steroid from the pregnane group must play a part. 

 The substance in question is either identical with, or similar 

 to, 2i-oxy-pregnanol-3-one-20 of HiRANO (1936). Guided 

 by the ovipositor test, one might attempt to isolate this 

 unknown substance. 



