HISTOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE OVARIES OF NORMAL AND EXPERIMENTALLY TREATED RATS

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Abstract
Results from histochemical staining of ovaries of normal and experimentally treated rats using a method allegedly specific for 3[beta]-ol steroids, together with blood progestin, progesterone (pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione) and urine pregnanediol (5[beta]-pregnane-3[alpha]-20[alpha]-diol) determinations suggested that 1. Thecal and interstitial tissue as well as luteal tissue of adult rat ovaries all produced progesterone and consequently the production of progesterone was not limited to a specific anatomic unit (e. g. corpus luteum). 2. The progesterone thus produced was secreted in part into the blood stream, for with each significant increase in the intensity of the histochemical reaction there was an associated rise in blood progestin, progesterone and urine pregnanediol. This did not quantitate the amount of progesterone involved in intermediary metabolism (e. g. of allo-pregnane-3[beta]-ol-20-one, pregn-4-ene-3[beta]-ol-20-one). 3. The ovarian tissue of immature rats also produced progesterone.