STEROIDS IN THE OVARIAN VENOUS BLOOD OF EWES BEFORE AND AFTER GONADOTROPHIC STIMULATION

1963 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. V. SHORT ◽  
M. F. McDONALD ◽  
L. E. A. ROWSON

SUMMARY Ewes on the 9th and 15th days of the oestrous cycle were injected intravenously with follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin of sheep pituitary origin, human chorionic gonadotrophin, pregnant mares' serum and an endometrial extract. The ovarian vein was cannulated, and progesterone measured chemically in the venous effluent. None of the above substances was capable of producing a pronounced or sustained alteration in the rate of progesterone secretion in the hour following injection. It was concluded that the ovine corpus luteum, if it responds at all to gonadotrophic stimulation, must do so in a manner very different from the testis, the response of which to luteinizing hormone is both immediate and sustained. The mean secretion rate of progesterone was approx. 150 μg./hr., thus being of the same order of magnitude as a previous indirect estimate of 113 μg./hr. There was no difference in the secretion rate between the 9th and 15th days of the cycle, apart from one animal at the 15th day in which the corpus luteum had ceased to secrete progesterone altogether. The turnover time of progesterone in the corpus luteum was 10 min., suggesting that the hormone is released from the gland as soon as it is formed. Pooled samples of ovarian vein plasma collected during the mid- and late luteal stages of the cycle contained, apart from progesterone, pregnenolone, 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one, oestrone and oestradiol-17β. In three samples of ovarian vein plasma collected from ewes in oestrus it was impossible to detect progesterone or 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one, even after chorionic gonadotrophin therapy. Oestradiol-17β and oestrone were present in concentrations similar to those found during the luteal phase of the cycle. Since the rate of ovarian vein blood flow is lower at oestrus than during the luteal phase, it follows that the oestrogen secretion rates are also lower at oestrus. The 24 hr. secretion rate of oestradiol-17β in two oestrous ewes was 3·3–7·4 μg. This is in close agreement with the median effective dose of 7 μg. of oestradiol-17β needed to induce oestrus in the spayed, progesterone-primed ewe.

1989 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Mann ◽  
A. S. McNeilly ◽  
D. T. Baird

ABSTRACT The source of inhibin secretion by the ovary in the sheep at different stages of the oestrous cycle was investigated by in-vivo cannulation of the ovarian veins. Twenty-four Scottish Blackface ewes were allocated to four groups of six ewes, i.e. those operated on during the luteal phase (day 10), and those operated on during the follicular phase 24–30, 36 and 60 h following an injection of 125 μg cloprostenol on day 10 of the luteal phase. Samples of jugular and timed ovarian venous blood were collected under anaesthesia before and after enucleation of the corpus luteum. Ovaries were then removed and follicles dissected out. Following injection of cloprostenol, luteal regression occurred as indicated by a fall in the secretion of progesterone. The concentration of inhibin in jugular venous plasma and its ovarian secretion rate were similar at all stages of the follicular phase and during the luteal phase. In contrast, the secretion rate of oestradiol rose from 2·68 ±0·73 pmol/min during the luteal phase to 8·70± 2·24 pmol/min 24 h after injection of cloprostenol (P<0·05). Following enucleation of the corpus luteum the secretion rate of progesterone fell from 809 ± 270 pmol/min to 86 ± 30 pmol/min (P<0·001). There was also a smaller, artifactual fall in the secretion rate of oestradiol following enucleation of the corpus luteum, which was of similar size to a fall seen in the secretion rate of inhibin. This resulted in a significant (P<0·001) fall in the ratio of progesterone to inhibin, while the oestradiol to inhibin ratio remained unchanged. The secretion rate of inhibin from ovaries containing luteal tissue was similar to that from the contralateral side without luteal tissue (1·41±0·30 compared with 1·32±0·30 ng/min), while ovaries with large antral follicles secreted significantly (P< 0·001) more inhibin than those with no follicles ≥3 mm (2·28 ± 0·36 compared with 0·25 ±0·06 ng/min). From these results we conclude that, in the sheep, large antral follicles are responsible for most, if not all, the secretion of inhibin by the ovary at all stages of the oestrous cycle, and that the corpus luteum secretes little or no immunoactive or bioactive inhibin. Due to the fact that, unlike inhibin, the secretion rate of oestradiol rises during the follicular phase of the cycle, when the concentration of FSH is suppressed, it seems likely that oestradiol rather than inhibin is the major ovarian factor modulating the change in FSH secretion seen at this stage of the oestrous cycle. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 123, 181–188


1969 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 505-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. ENGLAND ◽  
W. C. FOOTE ◽  
D. H. MATTHEWS ◽  
ARMANDO G. CARDOZO ◽  
S. RIERA

SUMMARY Results in 53 llamas (33 mated animals and 20 controls) showed that ovulation is copulation-induced in this species. Ovulation without copulation occasionally occurred during the height of the recognized breeding season in Bolivia. The first mating during the luteal phase (12–24 days after the preceding ovulation) resulted in ovulation in four out of ten llamas. Determination of pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) content showed the highest level on the day before mating (9·00 μg./mg.) and the lowest level on day 4 (6·25 μg./mg.). LH level on day 8 was significantly higher than on day 4 (7·62 μg./mg.). Corpora lutea (c.l.) were well formed on day 4 after mating (408 mg.), reached a maximum size by day 8 (1920 mg.) and rapidly decreased in size to day 16 (136 mg.). The corpus albicans remained as an entity but decreased in size to 21 mg. on day 120. Similar changes were found in c.l. histology and progesterone content. The combined results indicate that the functional life of the c.l. in a non-pregnant llama is 16 days or less. Treatment with 25 i.u. human chorionic gonadotrophin was sufficient to cause ovulation in 50% of the animals treated. A large (150 mg.) dose of norethandrolone did not cause morphological regression of the c.l. when measured 5 days after treatment. Treatment with 5 mg. daily for 14 days caused regression of c.l. as compared with untreated controls and animals treated with oestradiol valerate.


1986 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Bäckström ◽  
Agneta Andersson ◽  
David T. Baird ◽  
Gunnar Selstam

Abstract. A radioimmunoassay for 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione (5α-DHP) in plasma is described. The concentration of 5α-DHP in peripheral plasma during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle was of the same order of magnitude as that of progesterone (P). During the luteal phase, the plasma 5α-DHP was 8-fold higher than in the follicular phase and about 1/3 of the P concentration. The concentration of 5α-DHP in ovarian venous plasma draining an ovary containing the corpus luteum was 22-fold higher than the concentration in plasma from the contralateral ovarian vein. These results show that the corpus luteum secretes significant amounts of 5α-DHP.


1972 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 736-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Suzuki ◽  
R. Higashi ◽  
T. Hirose ◽  
H. Ikeda ◽  
K. Tamura

ABSTRACT Conscious dogs were infused intravenously with ethanol in doses of 0.7 and 1.0 g/kg. The adrenal venous blood samples were collected before and after the infusion of ethanol and analysed for 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS). After the infusion of 0.7 g/kg (subanaesthetic dose) of ethanol the adrenal 17-OHCS secretion rate showed either a slight increase or no change. After the infusion of 1.0 g/kg (anaesthetic dose) of ethanol the adrenal 17-OHCS secretion rate increased markedly and reached 1.21±0.15 (mean±sem) μg/kg/min, while it was 0.09±0.023 μg/kg/min before the infusion.


1990 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. K. Campbell ◽  
D. T. Baird ◽  
A. S. McNeilly ◽  
R. J. Scaramuzzi

ABSTRACT Active immunization of sheep against androstenedione results in an increase in ovulation rate that is associated with increased plasma levels of LH and progesterone, but not FSH. Although immunized ewes have more activated follicles the secretion rate of oestradiol is not increased. An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of androstenedione immunity on the ovarian secretion and peripheral plasma concentrations of inhibin. Merino ewes in which the left ovary had been autotransplanted to a site in the neck were divided into control (n = 5) and androstenedione-immune (n = 6) groups. Ovarian and jugular venous blood was collected every 10 min at two stages of the follicular phase, 21–27 h and 38–42 h after a luteolytic dose of an analogue of prostaglandin F2α (PG), and every 15 min for 6 h on day 10 of the subsequent luteal phase. The ewes were monitored regularly for luteal function by measurement of the concentration of progesterone and preovulatory LH surges. The concentration of inhibin in jugular and ovarian venous plasma was determined by radioimmunoassay and ovarian secretion rates and peripheral concentrations are expressed as pg of 1–26 peptide fragment of the α chain. The ovarian secretion rate of inhibin tended to be greater in androstenedione-immune ewes at all stages of the oestrous cycle measured, with this difference being statistically significant (P <0·05) during the luteal phase (100±40 and 260±80 (s.e.m.) pg/min for control and immune groups respectively). The pattern of ovarian inhibin secretion exhibited pulsatile-like fluctuations which were not associated with LH pulses. Peripheral concentrations of inhibin were generally higher in immunized than in control ewes with this difference being significant (P < 0·01) from day 4 to 14 of the luteal phase (59±5 and 110±7 ng/1 for control and immune respectively). The ovarian secretion rate of immunoactive inhibin was greater (P <0·01) during the follicular phase than during the luteal phase in both groups of ewes, and peripheral concentrations of inhibin increased (P < 0·001) following injection of PG in ewes from both treatment groups. We concluded that androstenedione immunity results in an increase in ovarian inhibin secretion, an effect that can probably be attributed to the greater number of large oestrogenic follicles present in the ovaries of these ewes. Furthermore, this increase in the concentration of inhibin may override any decrease in the negative feedback effects of ovarian steroid produced by immunization and, hence, explain the paradoxical findings of normal concentrations of FSH and raised concentrations of LH in ewes which are immunized against androstenedione. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 127, 285–296


1978 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Weiss ◽  
P. O. Janson ◽  
K. J. Porter ◽  
R. F. Seamark

ABSTRACT The rate of release of cyclic AMP by sheep ovaries containing a corpus luteum was determined at different stages of the cycle before and up to 60 min after an intra-arterial (ia) injection of 500 IU human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). The median cyclic AMP concentration in arterial plasma and of ovarian venous plasma following hCG stimulation was 93.2 and 98.0 pmol/ml, respectively. The ovaries of ewes examined at Days 1 and 2 of the cycle showed no response to hCG, whereas in 2 sheep at Day 3, hCG caused a slight response, and in 13 sheep examined between Days 5–18, hCG caused a marked increase in cAMP release. In 5 of the sheep in which both ovarian veins were cannulated, only the ovary with a corpus luteum responded to hCG with an increased secretion rate of cyclic AMP and progesterone. The results indicate a lack of responsiveness in the newly formed corpus luteum to hCG.


Hypertension ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 36 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 711-711
Author(s):  
Cecilia M Sayago ◽  
William H Beierwaltes

P100 The stimulatory second messenger for renin is cAMP, which is degraded by phosphodiesterase (PDE)-3. PDE-3 is inhibited by cGMP, while PDE-5 degrades cGMP. We hypothesized that if endogenous cGMP was increased, it could inhibit PDE-3, increasing cAMP, and stimulating renin. We used the selective PDE-5 inhibitor Zaprinast at a dose we determined would not change either blood pressure or renal blood flow (RBF). In inactin-anesthetized rats, renin secretion rate (RSR) was determined by collecting arterial and renal venous blood while measuring RBF before and 75 min after administering 20 mg/kg bw Zaprinast (n=9) ip, or vehicle (n=7). Blood pressure before and after Zaprinast was unchanged at 102 ±2 and 98 ±2 mmHg, respectively, similar to vehicle controls (107 ±3 to 105 ±4 mmHg). RBF was unchanged by either Zaprinast (5.57 ±0.38 to 5.77 ±0.41 ml/min/gkw) or vehicle (6.21 ±0.47 to 6.25 ±0.42 ml/min/gkw). Zaprinast increased RSR 6-fold (from 2.95 ±1.74 to 17.62 ±5.46 ng Ang1/hr/min, p <0.024), while vehicle had no effect (4.08 ±2.02 to 3.87 ±1.53 ng Ang1/hr/min). Zaprinast also increased renal cGMP excretion from 12.75 ±1.57 to 18.67 ±1.87 p mol/min (p<0.003), while cGMP excretion was unchanged by vehicle (13.07 ±1.76 to 12.42 ±2.16 p mol/min). Thus, inhibition of cGMP degradation by the PDE-5 inhibitor Zaprinast increased endogenous cGMP (as reflected in excretion) and also stimulated renin secretion, despite not significantly changing renal hemodynamics. These data suggest that endogenous cGMP may indirectly regulate renin through its direct effect on cAMP degradation.


1978 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Seppälä ◽  
P. Lehtovirta ◽  
E.-M. Rutanen

ABSTRACT Three of 24 infertile women with a short luteal phase transiently showed chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) like immunoreactivity in serum as measured by the HCG-beta subunit radioimmunoassay. The plasma progesterone concentration was elevated above the lower normal post-ovulatory level in 2 of these women who also had elevated basal body temperature at the time HCG was detected. Positive HCG reaction coincided with the pre-ovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) in one patient, but in 2 other cases the LH concentration was low suggesting absence of LH interference. Our results suggest that some infertile women may conceive during their cycles with a short luteal phase and maintain pregnancy until HCG becomes detectable.


1980 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. McNEILLY ◽  
J. KERIN ◽  
I. A. SWANSTON ◽  
T. A. BRAMLEY ◽  
D. T. BAIRD

The changes in the binding of human chorionic gonadotrophin/luteinizing hormone (HCG/LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin to 44 corpora lutea have been assessed during the luteal phase of the human menstrual cycle and early pregnancy. All corpora lutea bound HCG but out of 32 only ten bound FSH and only seven bound prolactin specifically. While binding of HCG increased to maximal levels in the mid-luteal phase, binding of FSH and prolactin was most often found in the early luteal phase. Maximum binding of HCG was associated with maximum serum levels of progesterone. Luteal regression was associated with a decrease in the binding of HCG but a causal relationship could not be established. Very low binding of HCG was found to corpora lutea of pregnancy. These results show that (1) the changes in binding of HCG during the luteal phase of the human menstrual cycle are similar to those in other species and (2) there are specific binding sites for prolactin and FSH in the human corpus luteum.


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