Frank Spielman

Utilization and Excretion of the Female Sex Hormone

Of importance are answers to the question of (1) what happens to the female sex hormone after injection, (2) how is it excreted, (3) can the excretion be stimulated? 1. What happens to the female sex hormone after injection? Half hourly blood samples taken from isolated adult rabbits in whom 2000 M. U. of female sex hormone had been injected intravenously in one dose, showed that only 1 M. U. could be recovered from 4 cc. of serum during the first hour, and none thereafter. After subcutaneous injection, 5 cc. showed this reaction during the first hour. Twenty-four hours later the blood of a rabbit injected with 3000 M. U. and killed 24 hours later by bleeding, showed less than 1 M. U. in 40 cc. of blood, one-half of the total blood volume. From another rabbit given 3000 M. U. and killed 24 hours later, extracts made from the total skeletal musculature, the lungs, brain and liver were assayed. With the exception of the liver, the total extract of the organ proved negative. The extract corresponding to one-half the total liver contained but 1 M. U. This series of experiments shows that large amounts of female sex hormone given intravenously or subcutaneously in the rabbit, rapidly disappear from the circulation and cannot be recovered from the internal organs 24 hours after injection. These results do not show whether the hormone is destroyed or so changed within the body fluids or tissues as to be no longer demonstrable by the Allen and Doisy reaction. 2. How is the female sex hormone excreted? Allen 1 found that female sex hormone was excreted almost quantitatively when injected into monkeys. We injected 2 African green monkeys, a male and female, each with 1500 M. U. of the hormone subcutaneously.

A Method for Demonstrating Prepituitary Maturity Hormone in the Blood of Non-Pregnant Women.

Since the prepituitary maturity hormone has been shown to produce puberty, follicle ripening and corpus luteum formation 1 , 2 and since this hormone has been demonstrated in the blood serum and urine of pregnant women and female castrates, 2 , 3 , 4 it appeared logical to expect its presence in the blood of women during the menstrual cycle. Aschheim and Zondek 2 have determined 3 types of action exerted by the maturity factor, follicle ripening (A P R I), blood spots (A P R II) and corpus luteum formation (A P R III). They ascribe these results to 2 distinct hormones which they call Prolan A producing A P R I, and Prolan B causing A P R II and III, but have been unable to devise an exact method for separating these factors. We have attempted to devise a method for demonstrating the presence of either or both Prolan A and B in the blood of nonpregnant women. A convenient material for control is supplied by the serum of pregnant women of which 0.2-0.5 cc. contains a M. U. or R. U. The untreated serum could therefore be used and equivalent amounts of the extracts of the same serum compared with this. The following technique was employed: a. Blood serum obtained from women at various phases of the cycle, from 1 to 22 cc. in amount, was injected into immature mice and rats without conclusive results, b. The proteins of the blood serum were precipitated with acid alcohol (one part serum, 3 parts 95% alcohol). After dilution to 50% the supernatant was separated by centrifu-galization and concentrated to a volume of 6-8 cc. by means of an air current at room temperature.

Hormonal bio-assay in a case of ovarian disgerminoma

(1) Stander, H. J., Eastman, N. J., and Harrison, E. P. H.: AM. J. OBST. & GYNEC. 19: 26, 1930. (2) Stander, H. J., and Eastman, N. J.: Ibid. 20: 822, 1930. (3) Wilson, H. P.: J. A. M. A. 88: 380, 1927. (4) Haldane, J. B. S.: Lancet 1: 537, 1924. (5) Abramson, H. A., and Eggleton, P.: J. Biol. Chem. 75: 753, 1927. (6) Hartmann, A. F., and Senn, M. J. E.: J. Clin. Investigation 11: 327, 337, and 345, 1932. (7) Abramson, H. A,, Eggleton, Y. G., and Eggleton, P.: J. Biol. Chem. 75: 763, 1927. (8) Palmer, W. W., and Van Slyke, D. D.: J. Biol. Chem. 32: 499, 1917. (9) Van Slyke, D. D., and G&en, G. E.: J. Biol. Chem. 30: 289, 1917. (10) Q&k, A. J.: Cited by Stander and Cadden, AX. J. OBST. & GYNEC. 28: 856, 1934. (11) Stander, H. J., and Radelet, A. H.: Bull. Johns Hopkins Hasp. 39: 91, 1926.

Estimation of Anterior Pituitary-like Hormone in Cord Blood

In order to study the presence or absence of the anterior pituitary-like hormone in the fetal and placental circulations, and perhaps its effect on the fetal ovary determinations of the hormone were made upon the cord blood. The blood specimens were obtained from the umbilical cords of 2 women immediately after the birth of the babies by severing the cords and allowing the blood from each of the cut ends to flow into separate vessels. The specimens obtained from the fetal side of the cut cords were considered to be fetal blood, and that from the maternal side, placental blood, or blood going from the mother to the fetus. The bloods thus obtained were allowed to clot and the serum only was used for the hormonal determinations. As relatively small quantities of serum could be obtained by this method, especially from the fetal side of the cord, the total quantities of serum obtained were injected. The immature rat was used as the test object, and a total of 4 rats were injected with the serum. In the first case of parturition 5 cc. of serum obtained from the placental end of the cut cord, and 5 cc. of serum obtained from the fetal end were injected into 2 immature rats respectively. In the second case 3 cc. of serum obtained from each end were injected on the same day. The ovaries of the rats which received the placental blood serum in both the 5 cc. and 3 cc. quantities showed luteinized follicles (A.P.R. III). On the other hand, the ovaries of the rats which received the same quantities of serum from the fetal side of the cord (5 cc. and 3 cc. respectively) showed a negative response. Since 3 cc. of placental blood serum showed at least 1 R.U. of the anterior pituitary-like hormone, it is estimated that there are at least 165 R.U. per liter of blood entering the fetus during pregnancy. Aschheim and Zondek found 150 M.U. per liter.