Abstract
Through the kindness of Dr. A. Butenandt of Göttingen who supplied us with 500 mg. of crystalline Pregnandiol 1 obtained from pregnancy urine, we were able to subject the substance to physiological tests. Pregnandiol, of which from 0.1 to 0.2 gm. can be obtained from 100 liters of human pregnancy urine, is, according to Butenandt, a saturated di-secondary alcohol of the formula C21H24(OH)2 containing 4 hydrated rings in the molecule.
The tests performed were as follows:
a. Injected (in oil) into c astrated mice up to the dosage of 10 mg. it shows no female sex hormone effects (as already determined by Butenandt). 1
b. Injected into immature rats up to the dose of 30 mg. it produces no ovarian changes characteristic of the prepituitary hormone.
c. Injected for 5 days into castrated rabbits primed for 5 days with female sex hormone, it produces no progestin (corpus luteum) effect on the uterus with a total dosage of 150 mg.
d. Injected into the virgin immature castrated guinea pig primed with female sex hormone up to a dosage of 100 mg., it fails to cause relaxation.
e. Injected into the castrate mouse brought to estrus by means of female sex hormone, it shows no mucifying effect on the vaginal epithelium.
It therefore appears that Pregnandiol is physiologically inert as far as the female sexual tract is concerned.
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