EFFECT OF PROGESTERONE AND ESTRONE ON THE INCIDENCE OF CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS DUE TO MATERNAL VITAMIN E DEFICIENCY1

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Abstract
In a series of experiments 299 Holtzman rats were used to determine the effect of progesterone and estrone on the incidence of congenital abnormalities induced by marginal maternal vitamin E deficiency. It was observed that daily subcutaneous injection of 4 mg. of progesterone or 2 ug. of estrone, singly or in combination, from the third day of gestation till term, in addition to 2 [mu]g. of d,l-alpha-tocopherol acetate supplementation on the 10th day, resulted in a reduction of the weight gain of the mother rats during gestation, the average number of implantation sites and the percentages of normal and abnormal young, with concomitant increase in the incidence of resorption. This abolition of the appearance of congenital abnormalities was further substantiated unequivocally when a single dose of 4 mg. of progesterone or 2 [mu]g of estrone was given by gavage together with 4 mg. of vitamin E on the 10th day of gestation. Similar injections of 1 mg. of progesterone and/or 0.5 [mu]g of estrone as well as the injections of 4 mg. progesterone and 10 mg. estrone did not produce any significant effect. Thus, the administration of progesterone or estrone at certain levels continuously or by a single dose either reduced or abolished the incidence of congenital malformations in maternal avitamino-sis E.