Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone and Prolactin Potency of Bovine Pituitaries after Various Methods of Preservation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The present research was designed to compare the specific biological activity of bovine pituitary gonadotropins present in anterior pituitary tissue preserved by several different methods. Thirty pituitaries were divided into five groups. Each group was homogenized in 0.85% sodium chloride, and gonadotropins were assayed immediately or preserved at −20° C, at −79° C, after lyophilization, after acetone dehydration, or at −20° C. with alternate freezing and thawing (six times). The preserved pituitary tissue was stored for 30 to 45 days and subsequently assayed for gonadotropin activity. FSH potencies were not affected significantly by these storage treatments. In contrast, with acetone desiccation there was a trend toward reduced LH potency and significantly (P<.O5) reduced prolactin potency of the homogenized pituitary tissue, whereas the other preservation treatments had no significant effect on either LH or prolactin potencies. In a second experiment 12 pituitaries were cut into 4-mm. cubes, divided into two groups and preserved either at −20° C. or by acetone dehydration for 30 to 45 days. Acetone dehydration of the cubed pituitary tissue may have caused a reduction (nonsignificant) in FSH activity but did not significantly affect prolactin activity; however, LH activity was significantly (P<.05) lowered by acetone dehydration. The results of this research suggest that acetone treatment may result in partial inactivation of the biological activity of gonadotropins.