title: Effect of estradiol and progesterone on muscle weight and acetylcholine receptors in "myasthenic" rats.
abstract: Clinical evidence suggests that endocrinal factors are involved in fluctuations of the symptoms of women with myasthenia gravis. We studied the effect of estradiol and progesterone in an animal model for myasthenia gravis in rats. Although it was found that the mass of muscles was dependent on sex, and in female rats affected by estradiol, the number of acetylcholine receptors in these muscles was independent of sex and hormone administration. Sex hormones failed to influence the severity of muscle weakness in myasthenic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Van Kempen
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Molenaar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002038:Bungarotoxins; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D002038:Bungarotoxins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol