Abstract
The several theories explaining menstrual phenomena in primates for the most part agree that it depends upon hormonal function of the ovaries. Some authors emphasize follicular hormone, some corpus luteum, while others believe that both are concerned. Van Herwerden 1 found that in Cercocebus cynomolgus menstruation may occur without ovulation and Corner 2 and Allen 3 have established the same fact for Macacus rhesus. Allen also discovered that rather scanty menstruation in castrate and sexually immature monkeys usually followed after a certain degree of uterine growth had been induced by the injection of follicular hormone. These authors agree, however, that the uterine endometrium under these conditions is not typical of the normal premenstrual endometrium found only when a corpus luteum is present. Novak 4 suggested that the physiology of menstruation could perhaps be solved if follicular and corpus luteum extracts of known potency were administered to experimental animals in the same sequence that they normally occur in the menstrual cycle.
Allen 3 has shown that physiologically active preparations of the follicular hormone do not promote typical premenstrual development of the uterine endometrium. We have made corpus luteum extracts which, in proper combination with follicular hormone, produce many physiological reactions ascribed to the normal corpus luteum (Hisaw, 5 Weichert, 6 Hisaw el al 7 ). This paper reports the experimental use of these corpus luteum preparations on the production of premenstrual development of the uterine endometrium of castrate Macacus rhesus monkeys.
Five sexually mature female monkeys were castrated. They were first brought into full oestrum by the injection of follicular hormone (kindly furnished by E. R. Squibb & Sons) and then given a series of injections of corpus luteum extracts.
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