Abstract
Summary
5α-pregnane-3α,20α-DIOL (5α-DIOL), a steroid which is secreted by the rat ovary and which may be formed from progesterone and 20α-hydroxyprogesterone in the brain and in the anterior pituitary, stimulates LH release while inhibiting FSH secretion in ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats. The steroid does not influence gonadotropin secretion when given to castrated female rats in the absence of exogenous estrogens. These data suggest that the process of 5α-reduction plays a role in the induction of the “positive” but not of the “negative” feedback activity of progestogens.
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