Abstract
Summary
Opposite halves of each of 72 anterior pituitaries from female rats were cultured in separate dishes. At the end of the 3rd and 6th days, the medium was removed and fresh medium containing neutralized acid extract of rat hypothalamus was added to one-half of the culture dishes, and medium containing cerebral cortical extract was added to the remainder. Each pituitary equivalent was cultured with an equivalent of 4 hypothalami from ovariectomized rats. Brain extracts were not added during the first 3 days of culture. After termination of culture, the medium was assayed for FSH by the method of Steelman and Pohley. Pituitary tissue cultured with cerebral cortical extract (control) did not release significant amounts of FSH, whereas pituitary cultured with hypothalamic extract (experimental) released highly significant amounts of FSH (average ovarian weights were 99 ± 7 and 149 ± 10 mg/100 g body weight, respectively). Control pituitary released significant amounts of FSH into the medium only during the first 3 days of culture. Brain extracts had no influence upon the activity of purified FSH in vitro nor when injected together with FSH into assay rats.
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