Influence of Functioning Ovarian Tissue on the Secretion of Progesterone by the Adrenal Glands of Female Rats

Experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the presence of functioning ovarian tissue on adrenal progesterone secretion. In the first experiment, one group of immature animals was ovariectomized, the other left intact and given 100 IU of pregnant mares' serum (PMS) to stimulate ovarian function. In the second experiment, immature animals were either ovariectomized or left intact but both groups were given 100 IU of PMS. Approximately 2 weeks after PMS administration, adrenal vein blood was collected from each group of animals and analyzed for progesterone content. The concentration of progesterone in adrenal vein blood was consistently higher in those animals whose ovaries had been stimulated with PMS. In addition, adrenal weights were significantly lower in the intact rats treated with PMS as compared with the ovariectomized rats treated with PMS. (Endocrinology88: 1425, 1971)