Quantitative Relation Between Follicle Stimulating and Luteinizing Effects in Castrate and Menopause Urine

Abstract

We have reported 1 the observation that both follicle stimulating and luteinizing effects could be produced with urine obtained from castrates and women past the menopause. Numerous investigators (Zondek, 2 Hamburger, 3 Leonard and Smith, 4 and Collip 5 ) have described strictly follicle stimulating response to the extracts of urine of castrates, in sharp contrast to that obtained with the urine of pregnancy in which luteinization was regularly noted. On the other hand, Österreicher, 6 Lassen and Brandstrup, 7 Evans, 8 and ourselves, 1 have demonstrated luteinizing effects with castrate urine extracts.

During the course of the investigation of a group of 43 cases we noted that extracts prepared from urine specimens collected from the same patient on different days produced follicle stimulation or luteinization, or combinations of both effects with equal amounts of the extracts. This led us to search for the cause or causes responsible for these variations in ovarian response. A group of 23 cases (17 surgical castrates, 3 X-ray castrates, and 3 physiological menopause) was selected from the larger group. This study is based on 76 extracts, all of which were shown to produce luteinization.

The extracts were prepared by our usual technique. In each case the equivalent of 100 cc. and 50 cc. from the same specimen of each patient was injected into test rats of 24–26 gm. in weight. All animals in these experiments were killed 96 hours after the beginning of the injections. Depending upon the effect produced by these trial quantities, the dosage of the same extract was either increased or decreased in another group of animals. With some extracts the equivalent of 100 cc. gave a luteinizing reaction, in others only follicle stimulation, and in still others a combination of both.