INTERRUPTION OF OVULATION IN THE HEN BY SUBCUTANEOUSLY ADMINISTERED NONSPECIFIC SUBSTANCES1

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Abstract
The subcutaneous injn., in saline, of various non-specific (i. e., hormone-free) substances inhibits or interrupts ovulation in the regularly laying hen. Effective prepns. include dessicated tissues (corpus luteum and ovarian residues of the cow; brain, muscle and oviduct of the chicken), whole dried egg white, proteins (ovalbumin and casein) and peptone. At relatively high doses all of these substances bring about prompt and extensive follicular atresia, with cessation of ovulation. Control injns. of saline and distilled water were of little or no effect. The effectiveness of ovalbumin, casein and peptone indicates that the action of the dried tissue prepns. and egg white may be attributed to their content of proteins or protein derivatives. Following the admn. of some prepns. at relatively low doses, ovulation was inhibited for at least 6-11 hrs. beyond the time of its normal occurrence without evidence of the onset of atresia, suggesting that the non-specific substances may act through the ant. pituitary gland or its gonadotrophins.
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