MAMMALIAN OVARY 



483 



1932; Bourne and Ziickennan, 1941bj. More 

 recently, a significantly higher excretion of 

 17-hydroxy corticosteroids has been found 

 during the second and third weeks, and 

 therefore during the luteal phase, of the 

 menstrual cycle (Maengwyn-Davies and 

 Weiner, 1955). 



Whether a causal relationship exists be- 

 tween these indications of a fluctuating ac- 

 tivity within the adrenal cortex, and sea- 

 sonal and cyclic changes within the ovaries 

 remains to be determined. Little informa- 

 tion exists. Bourne and Zuckerman {loc. 

 cit.) described the changes in the adrenals 

 of ovariectomized rats injected with estrone 

 and concluded that the changes are inde- 

 |)endent of the gonads. Foster's observation 

 that the active appearance of the adrenal 

 can be seen during pregnancy as well as 

 during estrus suggests, but does not prove, 

 that there is a hormonal regulation in the 

 ground squirrel which is dependent on re- 

 productive processes. 



Data with respect to possible direct effects 

 of adrenal cortical secretions on the ovary 

 ai'e ambiguous. Cortisone acetate adminis- 

 tered to rabbits 5 to 33 days in daily doses 

 of 5 to 20 mg. did not inhibit the ovulation 

 which occurs after mating or after the in- 

 jection of copper acetate (De Costa and 

 Abelman, 1953). The ability of the ovary 

 of the rat to respond after adrenalectomy 

 was tested by the administration of gonado- 

 trophic extracts (Brolin and Lindl)ack, 

 1951). They found that the ovaries could be 

 stimulated to increase the weight of the 

 uterus without the cooperation of the adre- 

 nals and considered that this result does not 

 support the view that there is a direct re- 

 lationship between adrenal corticoids and 

 the biosynthesis of ovarian (also testicular) 

 hormones. In other experiments (Payne, 

 1951; Smith. 1955), adrenalectomy abol- 

 ished (Payne) or interfered significantly 

 (Smith) with the ovarian hyperemia re- 

 sponse to injections of HCG and pituitary 

 extract (Antuitrin T) , the response utilized 

 by Farris (1946) as a test for early preg- 

 nancy. Cortisone and hydrocortisone were 

 partially effective in restoring the response 

 in adrenalectomized animals. According to 

 Payne, isocortisone acetate and compound 

 A acetate were also effective, but in larger 

 doses. No report of the use of corticosterone 



(comi)ound B) is gi\'en; replacement ther- 

 apy with this hormone would have been 

 more physiologic because it is the natural 

 corticoid of rats. It was concluded that the 

 hyperemia response is more nearly normal 

 in animals with normal adrenal function; 

 Payne believes that the response is mediated 

 through this gland. Despite what seem to 

 be clear-cut results which have been con- 

 firmed, it is felt that additional closely con- 

 trolled exi^eriments must be done in order 

 to show whether these adrenal hormones 

 affect the ovary directly or whether most 

 of the effects are nonspecific metabolic al- 

 terations. 



VIII. Concluding Remarks 



The avenue followed by investigators in- 

 terested in the functioning of the mam- 

 malian ovary has long carried a two-way 

 traffic. In addition, there has been move- 

 ment into the out of many side streets. No 

 understanding of the pattern of the traffic 

 in such a situation is possible and no satis- 

 factory regulation can be achieved unless 

 something is known about the nature, origin, 

 and destination of the vehicles composing 

 the traffic. Equally important, this informa- 

 tion cannot l)e obtained by standing on one 

 spot. This analogy contains much that is 

 relevant for what has been attempted in 

 this book. The problem of the ovary has 

 been approached from the vantage point 

 of forces and substances originating in the 

 pituitary and the environment which act 

 centripetally on it (Creep, Everett), and 

 from the vantage j^oint of many of the 

 tissues and organs on which the hormones 

 we associate with it exert their action (the 

 Hisaws, Cowie and Folley, Zarrow, Young 

 in his chapter on mating behavior). In this 

 chapter and that prepared l)y Dr. Villce 

 positions have been taken near the ovary 

 and attemj^ts made to bring together much 

 of the information gathered by investigators 

 who were in a sense looking right at it. 



Whether our perspective is developed 

 from a familiarity with all the material 

 which has been brought together or whether 

 it is restricted by the narrower treatment 

 given here, it is obvious that the unsolved 

 problems outnumber by far any that have 

 been solved, if indeed there are such. Wc 

 have learned much about the functioning 



