Stimulation of the corpora lutea of the rat by means of progesterone and testosterone

Abstract

The administration of progestin or progesterone inhibits oestrus in normal female experimental animals and leads to the cessation of follicular growth (Papanicolaou 1926, working on guinea-pigs; Gley 1928, on rats; Corner 1935, on monkeys). Active testicular extracts or testosterone have a similar effect (Ihrke and D’Amour 1931; Lendle 1931; and Robson 1936, working on rats; Zuckerman 1937, on rhesus monkeys). There is evidence that a phase of luteal activity occurs whenever the ripening of follicles is inhibited (see Evans 1928; Weichert 1930, amongst others), and it was therefore of interest to enquire whether or not luteinization of the ovaries is also an effect of the administration of progesterone and testosterone to normally cyclic female rats. Previous reports on this question are negative. Papanicolaou (1926) observed degenerative changes in the ovaries of guinea-pigs in which several successive oestrous cycles had been suppressed by means of progestin. Selye, Browne and Collip (1936) injected six rats with 4 mg. of progesterone for 12 days, and at the close of the experiment found that neither recent corpora lutea nor mature follicles were present in the ovaries. Albino and black and white rats were used. All injections were given once daily and subcutaneously. Oestrone was administered in aqueous solution, and both progesterone and testosterone propionate in oil. At the end of each experiment the uterus and one of the ovaries were fixed in Bouin’s fluid, and after sectioning, stained with haematoxylin and eosin, the ovary being sectioned serially. The second ovary of each animal was fixed in Flemming’s chrome-osmium fluid with acetic acid, and prepared to show osmicated fats according to the technique described by Deanesly (1930). In certain cases, noted below, the uterus was traumatized by the method of Shelesnyak (1933α) (a modification of that of Long and Evans), in order to produce deciduomata.