The effect of the female hormones on glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in uteri has been studied. The uteri taken from the ovariectomized rabbits treated with estrogen, estrogen plus progesterone, and sham administration (control) were incubated in vitro with [U- 14C]glucose. Subsequently, the tissues were digested extensively with pronase, yielding crude glycan fractions. The amount and radioactivity of the crude glycan fraction increased by the treatment with estrogen, but reduced to certain level with progesterone. Separation of glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans was achieved by stepwise elution from Dowex 1 (X2, chloride form) with increasing concentration of NaCl. The yield and radioactivity, together with the results of chemical, enzymatic, and electrophoretic studies on the resulting fractions indicated that the metabolism of a slightly acidic glycoprotein, hyaluronic acid, sulfated glycoproteins, low-sulf ated chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate, and dermatan sulf ate were stimulated remarkably with estrogen, but the stimulation was restored to certain level with progesterone. The degree of the change with these hormones was, however, found to be different from each other. It was noticed that sulfated glycoproteins were the most sensitive to the hormones. On the other hand, the estrogenic stimulation of the metabolism of a neutral glycoprotein and oversulfated chondroitin sulfates was not restored with progesterone.