Abstract
Gsell-Busse 1 has recently reported the production of oestrus in the rat and mouse through the administration of commercial preparations of sodium taurocholate—a subcutaneous dosage of 30 mg. bringing about oestrus in about 60 cases, tested according to the method of Allen and Doisy. 2
Striking results were also obtained in the promotion of uterine hypertrophy, both in immature and in spayed adult rats. The uteri in sexually immature rats increased from 2 1/2 to 5 1/2 times the size of controls, following 14 days'subcutaneous injection of 25 mg. commercial taurocholate daily. Similar results were obtained in young rabbits and guinea pigs. Precocious sexual maturity was induced in immature rats by administration of 20 mg. of taurocholate in two doses, oestrus appearing at the end of two days.
The same author also reported the prolongation of the oestrous phase in rats by repeated daily injections of 25 gm. of taurocholate. Oestrus appeared in two days and persisted throughout the period of injection—from three to six weeks in some instances.
In attempting to repeat this work the authors have been unable to confirm Gsell-Busse. Following is a brief summary of results obtained.
Production of oestrus: Five spayed adult female rats received sub-cutaneously 30 mg. of commercial sodium taurocholate (Merck) daily. No animal came into oestrus (tested by the vaginal smear technique)even though the injections were continued for one week. On the contrary, severe diarrhea set in on the third day and lasted throughout the course of injection. The animals developed severe local reactions at the site of injection, became “droopy”, and were found upon autopsy at the end of seven days'injection to have the typical genital atrophy of castration. Another commercial preparation of sodium taurocholate (Eastman) was tried on five experimental animals, with the same results.
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