604
I L S E
L A S N I T Z K I
Determination of the corticosteroid content in the medium by
Schaberg and De Groot (1958) showed that contact with the anterior
pituitary increased the production of the steroids in the cultured
adrenal glands. In these experiments adrenal glands which had been
grown for 6 days were confronted with fresh pituitary tissue or with
pituitary explants which had been cultured from 6-12 days previously.
Measurements by the Saffran and Schally method (1955) showed that
under these conditions the corticosteroid content was increased from
two to two and a half times that found in the control medium. As the
adrenals had been precultured for 6 days before being confronted with
the pituitary tissue, this rise is probably due to a fresh production of
steroids and not merely to a release of the stored hormones.
It is not certain whether the ability to provoke corticosteroid production by the pituitaries cultured for 6 and 12 days is due to A C T H or
to another hormone because measurements by the Sayer's test showed
that production of A C T H ceased after 2 days in culture. This is in
agreement with results by Guillemin and Rosenberg (1955) and Guillemin (1957) who, using the same test, found that rat and dog pituitaries
did not elaborate A C T H after the fourth day in culture but that this
activity could be restored by addition of hypothalamic tissue. According to Schaberg and De Groot (1958), two mechanisms may be involved:
a short term one which is dependent on the hypothalamus; and another
one which remains active for at least 12 days in the absence of the
hypothalamus. In this connexion it is of interest to remember that the
thyrotrophic function of the embryonic chick pituitary develops in
culture in the absence of hypothalamic tissue (Tixier-Vidal, 1957).
C . E F F E C T S
O F G O N A D O T R O P H I N S A N D
A N T E R I O R
P I T U I T A R Y
O N
G O N A D S
1. Effects on Ovaries
In vivo a stimulating effect of gonadotrophic hormones on ovaries
has been reported by many workers. Implantation of pituitary tissue
or injection of gonadotrophic hormones into immature or hypophysectomized rats, 10-30 days old, promoted the growth of follicles
(Saunders and Cole, 1935; Li, Simpson and Evans, 1949), the proliferation of thecal and interstitial cells (van Dyke, P'An and Shedlowsky, 1950) as well as ovulation and formation of corpora lutea
(Saunders and Cole, 1935; Veraldo, 1960).
Ovaries from younger rats were less sensitive to the hormone; in
6-day rats injection of hormones induced increased proliferation of
interstitial tissue but did not affect follicular growth (Price and Ortiz,
1944).
I L S E
L A S N I T Z K I
Determination of the corticosteroid content in the medium by
Schaberg and De Groot (1958) showed that contact with the anterior
pituitary increased the production of the steroids in the cultured
adrenal glands. In these experiments adrenal glands which had been
grown for 6 days were confronted with fresh pituitary tissue or with
pituitary explants which had been cultured from 6-12 days previously.
Measurements by the Saffran and Schally method (1955) showed that
under these conditions the corticosteroid content was increased from
two to two and a half times that found in the control medium. As the
adrenals had been precultured for 6 days before being confronted with
the pituitary tissue, this rise is probably due to a fresh production of
steroids and not merely to a release of the stored hormones.
It is not certain whether the ability to provoke corticosteroid production by the pituitaries cultured for 6 and 12 days is due to A C T H or
to another hormone because measurements by the Sayer's test showed
that production of A C T H ceased after 2 days in culture. This is in
agreement with results by Guillemin and Rosenberg (1955) and Guillemin (1957) who, using the same test, found that rat and dog pituitaries
did not elaborate A C T H after the fourth day in culture but that this
activity could be restored by addition of hypothalamic tissue. According to Schaberg and De Groot (1958), two mechanisms may be involved:
a short term one which is dependent on the hypothalamus; and another
one which remains active for at least 12 days in the absence of the
hypothalamus. In this connexion it is of interest to remember that the
thyrotrophic function of the embryonic chick pituitary develops in
culture in the absence of hypothalamic tissue (Tixier-Vidal, 1957).
C . E F F E C T S
O F G O N A D O T R O P H I N S A N D
A N T E R I O R
P I T U I T A R Y
O N
G O N A D S
1. Effects on Ovaries
In vivo a stimulating effect of gonadotrophic hormones on ovaries
has been reported by many workers. Implantation of pituitary tissue
or injection of gonadotrophic hormones into immature or hypophysectomized rats, 10-30 days old, promoted the growth of follicles
(Saunders and Cole, 1935; Li, Simpson and Evans, 1949), the proliferation of thecal and interstitial cells (van Dyke, P'An and Shedlowsky, 1950) as well as ovulation and formation of corpora lutea
(Saunders and Cole, 1935; Veraldo, 1960).
Ovaries from younger rats were less sensitive to the hormone; in
6-day rats injection of hormones induced increased proliferation of
interstitial tissue but did not affect follicular growth (Price and Ortiz,
1944).