Relation of Cholane Nucleus to the Female Bitterling Test for Male Hormone. ∗

Abstract

After demonstrating that the female bitterling test was not a test for pregnancy, 1 we have stated 2 that the fraction of male urine containing the male hormones is responsible for the ovipositor elongating reaction. A positive reaction was taken as a lengthening of the ovipositor from a quiescent stage to a length equal to that of the anterior edge of the anal fin, i. e., the ovipositor must reach the end of the fin.

Crystalline theelin and theelol were also tested and although they did not give positive reactions, they sometimes caused a slight lengthening of the ovipositor. We therefore felt it important to determine whether any other substance containing the cholane nucleus would produce this reaction in greater or lesser degree.

We have tested ergosterol† and cholesterol emulsions and solutions of sodium taurocholate according to our method. 2 Small doses of all these compounds produced no reactions. These doses were equivalent to, or several times greater than the doses of male hormone which produced pronounced reactions. Larger amounts of cholesterol, however, produced slight effects while the same amounts of sodium taurocholate were fairly active. For example, while approximately 1.7 mg. of the crude male hormone fraction produced a marked positive reaction when added to 4 liters of water containing 2 bitterlings, 40 mg. of cholesterol caused only slight effects. Doses of 8 mg. of sodium taurocholate caused no reaction, while 25 to 50 mg. gave a moderately strong reaction. Thirty animals were used. It is highly improbable that these weak reactions were due to contaminations of our “C.P.”preparations with male hormone. This could be excluded only by the use of synthetic products.

Since bile salts occur in urine in appreciable amounts only in cases of obstructive jaundice, it is evident that ordinarily this factor would not interfere with the test.