Abstract
Most evidence indicates that FSH alone does not stimulate estrogen biosynthesis in immature ovaries in spite of increased follicular growth. We studied the influence of FSH free of biological LH activity compared with the same dose of FSH supplemented by LH on the intermediate steps of steroid biosynthesis in the immature mouse ovary. The steroidogenic profile in the immature ovary revealed very active hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases, moderately active Δ4-reductases and low activities of mixed function oxidases. The Δ4-rather than the Δ5-pathway was shown to be the predominant route of androgen formation from pregnenolone, and Δ4-androstenedione was preferred to testosterone as androgen precursor of aromatization to estrogens. FSH acted primarily as a stimulator of general growth: it largely induced increases in enzyme activities in proportion to the general increase in protein and the protein per mg tissue did not increase. FSH † LH caused marked differential increases in cholesterol side-chain splitting, ...
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