Abstract
Male hamsters, 3 months of age, were treated for 9 months by thrice weekly injections of diethylstilboestrol (DES). All animals developed kidney tumours and histopathological examination showed that the intermediate lobes of the pituitary were hyperplastic and neoplastic. The content of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) in the pituitary glands of 17 control and 12 DES-treated animals was measured by bioassay and radioimmunoassay. Whan compared with control pituitaries, the concentration of immunoreactive a-MSH in treated animals was significantly elevated ( P < 0·005) with significant positive correlation between pituitary weight and total a-MSH content. The levels of bioactive MSH were also raised. Serum levels of immunoreactive a-MSH were consistently higher in treated animals. The possibility exists that the induction of kidney tumours by oestrogens in the male hamster is mediated via the pituitary gland and that MSH may be of significance in the process of carcinogenesis.
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