284 



HYPOPHYSIS AND GONADOTROPHIC HORMONES 



interpretation that hypothalamic agents are 

 involved in the excitation of the hypophysis 

 to secrete gonadotrophic hormones. 



Mention has been made of the interesting 

 preliminary observation by Eckles, Ehni 

 and Kirschbaum (1958) of persistent lacta- 

 tion as a sequel to stalk transection in wo- 

 men with breast cancer. (Polyethylene plat- 

 lets were inserted between the cut ends of 

 the stalk.) In some women lactation was 

 observed to continue for a year or longer. 

 The menses ceased, hence it can be assumed 

 that the secretion of FSH and LH was in- 

 terrupted. Why then, was the secretion of 

 LTH not also abated? It seems pertinent 

 also to note here that galactorrhea has fre- 

 quently been seen in female mammals and 

 patients receiving tranquilizing drugs 

 (Kehl, Audebert, Gage and Amarger, 1956; 

 Polishuk and Kulcsar, 1956; Whitelaw, 

 1956; Meites, 1957; Sawyer, 1957). It would 

 seem, in fact, that an inhibiting influence on 

 LTH secretion had been removed by these 

 procedures. These findings in man parallel 

 the observations by Desclin (1950) and 

 Everett (1954, 1956) that autografts of the 

 pars distalis to the renal capsule secrete 

 LTH selectively, and perhaps in increased 

 quantities for several months (see also Niki- 

 tovitch-Winer and Everett, 1957, 1958a, b 

 for further variants of this study of pitui- 

 tary autografts). Perhaps the fact that 

 pseudopregnancy often supervenes in rats 

 under continued treatment with certain 

 tranquilizing agents (Barraclough, 1957; 

 Velardo, 1958; Barraclough and Sawyer, 

 1959j can be explained by an abnormal re- 

 lease of LTH from the pars distalis. In- 

 herent in this evidence is the suggestion that 

 the hypothalamus exercises either no in- 

 fluence or a "tonic" suppressive influence 

 on the secretion of LTH by the pars distalis. 

 Other recent evidence suggests, however, 

 that the hypothalamus may also supply a 

 stimulus for the release and possibly the 

 j)roduction of prolactin (LTH). Oxytocin, 

 a neurohypoi^hyseal hormone that is almost 

 certainly elaborated in the hypothalamus 

 (Scharrer and Scharrer, 1945, 1954a, b; 

 Bargmann, 1949; Olivecrona, 1957), has 

 been shown to lead to structural mainte- 

 nance of the mammary gland (Benson and 

 Folley, 1956, 1957). The resolution of 

 such an interesting but bafflingly complex 



hypothalamo-hypophyseal interrelationship 

 must await much additional experimenta- 

 tion. 



VI. References 



Abramowitz, a. a., and Hisaw, F. L. 1939. The 

 effects of proteolytic enzymes on purified gon- 

 adotropic hormones. Endocrinology, 25, 633- 

 637. 



ABRAM.S, M. E., M.\RSH.\LL, W. A., AND THOMSON, 



A. P. D. 1954. Effect of cervical sympathec- 

 tomy at the onset of estrus in ferrets. Nature, 

 London, 174, 311. 



Adams, A. E., and Granger, B. 1941. Further 

 study of effects of administering anuran ante- 

 rior pituitaries to immature female mice. Am. 

 J. Anat., 69, 229-263. 



Addis, T., and Lew, W. 1940. The restoration of 

 lost organ tissue: the rate and degree of res- 

 toration. J. Exper. Med., 71, 325-333. 



Allison, R. M. 1954. Reduced maintenance of 

 frogs used for pregnancy diagnosis by enforced 

 hibernation. J. Endocrinol., 11, 377-379. 



Amoroso, E. C, and M.^tthews, L. H. 1955. The 

 effect of external stimuli on the breeding cycle 

 of birds and mammals. Brit. M. Bull., 11, 87- 

 192. 



Anderson, E., and Haymaker, W. 1948a and b. 

 Influence of hypothalamus on sexual function. 

 J. A. M. Women's A., 3: 402. 457-461. 



Anderson, E., Haymaker, W., and Rappaport, H. 

 1950. Seminiferous tubule failure associated 

 with degenerative change in the hypothalamus. 

 A clinicopathologic report of a case of reactive 

 gliosis of the floor of the third ventricle. Am. 

 Pract. & Digest Treat., 1, 40-45. 



Andersson, B. 1951a. The effect and localization 

 of electrical stimulation of certain parts of the 

 brain stem in sheep and goats. Acta physiol. 

 scandinav., 23, 8-23. 



Andersson, B. 1951b. Further studies on the 

 milk ejection mechanism in sheep and goats. 

 Acta physiol. scandinav., 23, 24-30. 



Asdell, S. a. 1924. Some effects of unilateral 

 ovariotomy in rabbits. Brit. J. Exper. Biol., 1, 

 473-486. 



Assenmacher, I., AND Benoit, J. 1953a. Contri- 

 bution a I'etude des relations de la substance 

 Gomoripositive avec le complexe hypophysaire 

 et la gonadostimulation chez le canard do- 

 mestique. Compt. rend. acad. sc, 236, 133-135. 



AssENM.^cHER, I., AND Benoit, J. 19531). Reper- 

 cussions de la section du tractus portotuberal 

 hypophysaire sur la gonadostimulation par la 

 lumiere chez le Canard domesti(iue. Compt. 

 rend. acad. sc, 236, 2002-2004. 



AsTwooD, E. B. 1939a. An assay method for 

 progesterone based upon decidual reaction in 

 the rat. J. Endocrinol., 1, 49-55. 



AsTWOOD, E. B. 1939b. Changes in the weight 

 and water content of the uterus of the normal 

 adult rat. Am. J. Physiol., 126, 162-170. 



AsTwooD, E. B. 1941. The regulation of corpus 

 lutoum function by hypophysial luteotrophin. 

 Endocrinology, 28^ 309-320. " 



