title: Pregnant mare serum and human chorionic gonadotropin stimulate ovarian delta5-3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in aged mice.
abstract: Aged (12- to 14-month-old) estrous and diestrous C57BL mice exhibited lower histochemically demonstrable ovarian delta5-3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) activity in thecal, luteal, and interstitial cells, and lower (P less than 0.01) ovarian 3beta-HSD concentration and total content than did young (3-month-old) estrous animals. Administration of pregnant mare serum (PMS, 10 IU subcutaneously), followed in 40 hours by human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG, 5 IU subcutaneously) or HCG (2 IU daily for 4 days) alone, restored luteal and interstitial 3beta-HSD in aged mice. Follicular, lutea, and interstitial 3beta-HSD activity was increased in aged mice by a single PMS injection (10 IU). The total ovarian dehydrogenase concentration was increased 100% in aged animals by PMS and/or HCG administration. Restoration of histochemically demonstrable ovarian 3beta-HSD and total enzyme content in aged mice by PMS and/or HCG indicates ovarian sensitivity to gonadotropin and subnormal tropic hormone stimulation of the ovary in situ.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000201:enzymology; D004031:Diestrus; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006913:Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008184:Luteal Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000201:enzymology; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013480:Superovulation / Q000187:drug effects; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine; D006913:Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases