The response of the mammary gland of the male mouse to progesterone and human mammotrophic substances.

Abstract

SUMMARY 1. Five strains of mice primarily insensitive to mammotrophic substances in human urine and anterior pituitary gland were all equally sensitive to the mammotrophic action of progesterone. The sensitive Strong A 2 strain also reacted to progesterone. The reaction in this strain was somewhat enhanced when compared with the other five strains. 2. Two insensitive strains became responsive to the human mammotrophic substances after treatment with progesterone. The response to human whole anterior pituitary substance after progesterone was present and enhanced in the sensitive Strong A 2 strain. 3. A preparation of human growth hormone produced a mammotrophic response in the mouse similar to that of human whole pituitary. Within the limits of the experiment the major mammotrophic potency of the pituitary appeared to be extracted in the growth hormone fraction.