Effects of Active Immunization with Bovine Luteinizing Hormone on Reproduction in the Female Rat

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Abstract
The active immunization of female rats with bovine luteinizing hormone causes an impairment of the animals'' reproductive capacity. Less than 10% of the immunized animals exhibited normal estrous cycles, accepted male partners and had what could be considered uneventful pregnancies. The impairment of the reproductive performance could be classified into 4 major categories. The animals demonstrated fertile matings but complicated pregnancies, sterile matings, nonmating behavior, or they became anestrous. Booster injections of the LH preparation consistently increased the circulating antibody titer to the bovine hormone and concomitantly increased the severity of the reproductive disorder. The immunologic mechanism by which the endogenous hormone activity is diminished remains to be clarified.