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Biology of Reproduction, Vol 25, 885-903, Copyright © 1981 by Society for the Study of Reproduction
1 Department of Physiology,
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 To examine the role of FSH during follicular maturation in monkeys, serum FSH was suppressed during cycles on Days 1-4 i.p. by administration of charcoal-treated porcine follicular fluid
(PFFl, crude inhibin-F). Following PFFl treatment, the putative dominant follicle was examined
on Days 10-14. Granulosa cells were recovered from this follicle and cultured. Treatment of four
monkeys with PFFl led to decreased size of the dominant follicle and a decrease in the number of
granulosa cells recovered from the follicle. Serum FSH, but not LH, levels were decreased 50-80%
in three of four monkeys. Pig serum (control) had no discernible effects. The actions of charcoal-treated PFFl were examined further in long-term castrate female
cynomolgus and rhesus monkeys. With a single injection of 0.5, 1.0, 5, 10, 15, or 100 ml of PFF
PFFl administration at time 0, there was a dose-dependent decrease in FSH, with no significant
alteration in serum LH. With the lowest dose (5.0 ml), there was a 25% decrease (P<0.05) in serum
FSH after 42 h. Both 30 and 100 ml doses produced a near maximal decrease (70-80%) in serum
FSH. This observation may indicate that there are two "pools" of FSH, one of which is not suppressible by PFFl, or that there is a single pool which is not completely suppressible by this experimental approach. Additional experiments were performed in monkeys to examine the effect of PFFl administered during the spontaneous midcycle and exogenous estrogen-induced FSH/LH surges. PFFl was
injected in two to four daily doses of 4 ml each during the anticipated time of the midcycle gonadotropin surges. These 4-day PFFl treatments led to postponement of the LH/FSH surges in two
monkeys and the abolishment of the anticipated LH/FSH surges in two additional monkeys. These
four PFFl-treated monkeys failed to ovulate in the treated cycle, but did ovulate during the next
menstrual cycle. Administration of porcine serum at midcycle did not alter the midcycle LH/FSH
surge. Administration of a daily 10 ml dose of PFFl over a 4 day period inhibited the estrogen-induced (estradiol benzoate) rise of LH and FSH in a total of five intact adult female cynomolgus
and rhesus monkeys during the early follicular phase. In a final experiment, s.c. administration of 2 ml PFFl, but not pig serum, to both male and
female infant (12-17 month) rhesus monkeys led to a selective decline in serum FSH.
2 Department of Anatomy,
University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
3 Pregnancy Research Branch,
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,
National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, Maryland 20205
Note:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The able assistance of Ms. Sandy Fowler and Mr.
Charles Turner is gratefully acknowledged. The expert
typing of Ms. Gail Williams is acknowledged with
thanks.
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