Stimulation of Glycolytic Activity of Rat Corpus Luteum Tissue by Luteinizing Hormone

Abstract

Investigations of the glucose metabolism of rat luteinized ovary tissue have been undertaken in attempts to shed further light upon the stimulatory action of luteinizing hormone on this tissue. Studies with glucose-U-C14 in vitro indicate that respiratory CO2, lipids and lactic acid on the average account for 13, 2 and 74%, respectively, of the amount of glucose taken up by the tissue. These percentages remain essentially unaltered when the rate of glucose uptake is increased by LH treatment in vivo. Rate of lactic acid formation increases with increasing medium glucose concentration, essentially reaching a plateau at 16 mg glucose/ ml. LH treatment in vivo results in stimulation of lactic acid formation at all medium glucose concentrations tested. Lactic acid formation from endogenous materials in the absence of medium glucose is very small, a finding consistent with negligible amounts of glycogen found in rat luteal tissue. The ability of LH to stimulate lactic acid production and glucose uptake is grea...