Granulosa Cell Tumors in Female Rats and Rabbits

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Abstract
After castrating female rats or rabbits, a part of one ovary was transplanted so that its venous drainage was to the liver via the portal circulation. Destruction by the liver prevents ovarian estrogen from reaching the circulation. The grafts are thus exposed to hypophyseal gonadotrophic stimulation. In 5 rats, the transplants were to the spleen. In the remainder the intestinal mesentery was used. In rabbits the splenic or intestinal mesentery was used. Viable transplants were present in 26 rats studied. Vascular adhesions in 2 animals ruled them out. Twelve rats survived 265-399 days, and a tumor was present in each. In 2 rats killed in 218 days, true tumors were not found, but tumor-like disorganization replaced normal ovarian structure. The survival periods of the other 10 rats was 40-138 days, and there were no tumors. Three rat tumors were cystic, containing solid nodules. The other 9 were solid. The tumors were highly vascular. Variable luteinization was present in each tumor. Some were composed largely of granulosa cells, and others resembled a vascular luteoma. Six of 8 surviving rabbits had viable implants. Two specimens, 512 and 533 days old, were definite tumors. Both were solid and of the granulosa cell type.