CHANGES IN OESTRADIOL-17β BINDING IN THE HYPOTHALAMI AND PITUITARY GLANDS OF PERSISTENTLY INFERTILE EWES PREVIOUSLY EXPOSED TO OESTROGENIC SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER: EVIDENCE OF ALTERATIONS TO OESTRADIOL RECEPTORS

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Abstract
SUMMARY: The binding of [3H]oestradiol-17β to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland of cloveraffected permanently infertile and control ovariectomized ewes was compared in vivo and in vitro. When [3H]oestradiol-17β was infused into the carotid artery (10 ng/min), the total homogenate and the nuclear and protamine-precipitable cytosol fractions of hypothalami and pituitary glands from clover-affected ewes bound significantly more [3H]oestradiol than those of the controls. Cytoplasmic oestradiol-17β receptors from the pituitary glands of clover-affected ewes showed a significantly lower apparent association constant and a higher number of binding sites/mg protein in vitro. It is suggested that the hypothalami and pituitary glands of ewes made permanently infertile by oestrogenic clover are less sensitive to feedback regulation of oestradiol-17β at physiological levels.