The Effect of Estrogen and Progesterone on the Level of Amidase Activity in Fluid Flushed from the Uteri of Ovariectomized Mice

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The effect of estrogen and progesterone on the level of chymotrypsin-like amidase activity was estimated in fluid flushed from the uteri of ovariectomized mice by hydrolysis of the peptide homolog glutaryl-L-phenylalanyl-.beta.-naphthylamide (GPAN). Mice were ovariectomized and injected with either progesterone alone, progesterone followed by a combination of estrogen and progesterone or estrogen alone. The level of activity was found to be low and constant for several days in animals receiving progesterone alone; the addition of estrogen caused an increase in activity that reached maximum in 18 h and then returned to the baseline level. The level of amidase activity increased and remained elevated following the injection of estrogen alone. A similar experiment was done with .alpha.-N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-.beta.-naphthylamide HCl (BANA) to estimate the level of amidase with trypsin-like activity: no trypsin-like amidase was detected. Estrogen is apparently capable of increasing chymotrypsin-like amidase activity in the uterine lumen and that progesterone alters the pattern of this response. The possible implications of hormone regulation of amidase activity in the uterine lumen is discussed with respect to normal and delayed implantation.