Endocrine and reproductive repercussions of immunization against progesterone and oestradiol in female rats.
Mature female rats were immunized with BSA-conjugates of oestradiol-17beta-6-carboxymethyloxime or progesterone-11-hymisuccinate. Sera tested two months later at 1/2000 dilution bound 63.3% +/- 3.1 SEM and 21.2% +/- 2.3 of the homologous tritiated hormone (10 pg),--oestradiol-17beta(Oe2) and progesterone (P), respectively. Rats immunized against Oe2 had a significantly longer oestrous cycle (8.2 days vs. 4.5 days in BSA-immunized rats), with a prolonged leukocytic phase. The cycle of rats immunized against P was also prolonged (10.5 days), but in this group the cornified smear phase was abnormally extended. The luteinizing hormone (LH) normally observed on the afternoon of pro-oestrus failed to occur in the rats immunized against Oe2 and in 70% of rats immunized against P. The latter animals, however, showed sporadic LH discharges during periods of persistent cornification. Immunization against P resulted in elevated total (free plus bound) plasma P levels; immunization against Oe2 prevented the pro-oestrous rise in plasma P. Mating of rats immunized against Oe2 resulated in normal pregnanices, while none of the rats immunized against P delivered.
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D004958:Estradiol / Q000276:immunology*; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D007114:Immunization; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats
D000906:Antibodies; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone