Abstract
Summary
Female albino rats were injected subcutaneously with 17 IU of ovine lactogenic hormone/day continuously. While normal rats had 2 consecutive pseudopregnancies of 14 and 12 days, respectively, hysterectomized rats had only one of 21 days after which normal estrous cycling occurred in spite of the continued lactogen. Injection of lactogenic hormone for 5-7 days from the day of estrous was required to induce pseudopregnancies in normal or hysterectomized rats, the latter always having diestrous periods of about 7 days longer than normal rats. When lactogenic hormone was discontinued for 3 estrous cycles and reestablished, pseudopregnancies again resulted in both normal and hysterectomized rats.
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